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Washington 
During 
War  Time 


Washington    During   War   Time 


A  SERIES  OF  PAPERS 


SHOWING  THE 


MILITARY,      POLITICAL,     AND      SOCIAL 
PHASES  DURING  1861  TO  1865. 


OFFICIAL     SOt  VKMK     OF     TIIK     Til  I KTY-SIXTII     ANNUAL     EN- 
CAM  I'M  KNT  OF   TIIH   CHAM)   AHMY   OF  THE   REPUBLIC 


COLLECTED     AM>      EDITED      BY 

MARCl'S   BENJAMIN 

UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  ON  LITERATURE 
FOR  THE  ENCAMPMENT 


THE   NATIONAL   TRIBUNE   CO. 
WASHINGTON  D.  C. 


COMMITTEE    ON    LITERATURE    FOR    THE 
ENCAMPMENT 

GENERAL  THOMAS  M.  VIXCEXT,  Chairman 

MRS.    ISABEL   W.    BALL,    Secretary 

DR.  MARCUS  BEXJAMIN,  Editor 

ALLEN  D.  ALBERT,   JR. 
GENERAL  H.  V.  BOYNTON 

WILLIAM  V.  COX 
GENERAL  A.    W.    GREELY 

JAMES  F.  HOOD 
DR.  CHARLES  MOORE 

A.  J.  PARSONS 
BRAINARD  H.  WARNER,  JR. 


£ 


/  3  }  1^  INTRODUCTION 

THE  objective  point  in  a  military  campaign  is  the 
capital  city  of  the  enemy.     Washington  was  three 
times  during  our  Civil  War  almost  within  the  grasp 
ri  the  enemy,  but  it  was  never  taken.    The  persistent  cry 
of  "On  to  Richmond!"  showed  the  aim  of  the  Federal 
armies. 

The  object  of  this  Souvenir  is  to  give  to  the  veteran  sol- 
diers the  history  of  the  Capital  during  the  years  between 
the  opening  and  closing  of  the  war.  It  begins  with  a 
series  of  descriptions  of  Washington,  showing  the  peace- 
ful nature  of  that  pleasant  town,  taken  from  contempor- 
ary writers.  This  is  followed  by  an  account  of  the  anx- 
iety of  those  who  were  loyal  to  the  Union  lest  the  friends 
of  those  who  were  disloyal  should  succeed  in  turning  the 
Government  over  to  the  Southern  States,  culminating  in 
the  successful  organization  of  the  military  by  General 
Stone  and  the  arrival  of  the  volunteer  troops  from  the 
North.  The  defenses  of  Washington,  so  ably  constructed 
by  the  engineers,  show  the  skill  with  which  the  Capital 
was  made  impregnable,  while  the  defending  of  the  Po- 
tomac by  the  naval  forces  is  described  as  showing  their 
part  in  the  struggle  for  the  protection  of  Washington. 
Then  follows  a  description  of  the  unsuccessful  raid  of 
Early,  and  an  account  of  the  check  of  the  Confederate 
forces  at  Fort  Stevens.  The  fear  of  capture  is  forever 
dissipated  by  the  joy  of  delivery.  The  story  of  the  sad 
death  of  Lincoln  is  told  by  an  eye-witness  of  the  last 
scenes  in  the  life  of  that  great  martyr,  while  the  history 
of  the  military  features  comes  to  a  close  with  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  Grand  Review. 


[v] 


WASHINGTON  DUKING  WAB  TIME 

The  building  up  of  the  military  power  of  the  United 
States;  the  splendid  work  done  in  the  hospitals;  as  well 
as  that  accomplished  by  the  Christian  and  Sanitary  Com- 
missions; and  the  transformation  of  Arlington  into  a 
memorial  for  the  heroes  of  the  war,  are  fully  described. 
The  final  pages  of  the  book  contain  an  interesting  ac- 
count of  the  political  and  social  conditions  that  prevailed 
in  Washington  during  the  war  period,  and  a  description 
of  the  development  of  the  smaller  town  into  the  greater 
and  magnificent  Washington  of  today.  •  M.  B. 


[vi] 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS 


Page. 
Introduction v 

Table  of  Contents vii 

List  of  Illustrations ix 

Organization  of  the  United  States  Government xiii 

Washington  on  the  Eve  of  the  Civil  War.  By  Wilhelmus 
Bogart  Bryan,  Chronicler  of  the  Columbia  Historical 

Society    3 

The  Military  Situation  in  Washington  in   1861.      By  Marcus 

Benjamin,  President  of  the  Society  of  the  War  of  1812.  .      13 

The  Defenses  of  Washington.  By  John  Gross  Barnard, 
Major  General  by  brevet  and  Colonel,  Corps  of  Engi- 
neers    27 

The  Part  taken  by  the  Naval  Forces  in  the  Defense  of 
Washington  during  the  Civil  War.  By  Richard  Wain- 
wright,  Commander  U.  S.  Navy  and  Superintendent 
Naval  Academy  44 

Early's  March  to  Washington.  By  Thomas  McCurdy  Vin- 
cent, Brigadier-General,  by  brevet,  U.  S.  Army 49 

Fort  Stevens,  Where  Lincoln  Was  Under  Fire.     By  William 

Van  Zandt  Cox,  Author  of  the  Defenses  of  Washington.  .      67 

The  Death  of  President  Lincoln.  By  Thomas  McCurdy  Vin- 
cent, Brigadier-General,  by  brevet,  U.  S.  Army 80 

The  Grand  Review.  By  John  McElroy,  Senior  Vice  Com- 
mander, Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 91 

The  Military  Power  of  the  United  States  as  Shown  during 
the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  By  Thomas  McCurdy  Vin- 
cent, Brigadier-General,  by  brevet,  U.  S.  Army 100 

The   War   Hospitals.      By   John   Wells   Bulkley,    Surgeon   in 

Charge  of  the  Patent  Office  Hospital 138 

The    Humanities    of    the    War.      By    William    Jones    Rhees, 

Archivist  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution 154 

Arlington  and  Battlefield  Cemeteries.  By  Isabel  Worrell 
Ball,  Chairman,  Press  Committee,  Thirty-Sixth  Nation- 
al Encampment 173 

Political  and  Social  Conditions  During  the  War.  By  Brain- 
ard  H.  Warner,  Chairman  of  the  Thirty-Sixth  National 

Encampment     185 

Washington  of  Today.  By  Henry  Brown  Floyd  Macfarland, 
President,  Board  of  Commissioners,  District  of  Colum- 
bia    195 

[vii] 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Page. 
Abraham  Lincoln  with  Signature.     A  photograph  by  Brady, 

obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  O.  H.  Oldroyd.  .  .'        ii 

A  Bird's  Eye  View  of  Washington  in  1862.  A  steel  engrav- 
ing, from  the  collection  of  Mr.  James  F.  Hood 2 

Vignette  Portrait  of  General  Winfleld  Scott.  A  war-time 
engraving  by  H.  B.  Hall,  from  the  collection  of  Mr. 
James  F.  Hood  3 

A  War-Time  View  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue  from  the  Cap- 
itol. A  war-time  lithograph,  from  the  collection  of 
Mr.  James  F.  Hood 12 

Vignette  Portrait  of  General  Charles  P.  Stone.  From  the 
Brady  collection,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of 
General  Greely  13 

Fortification  in  Front  of  Washington  in  1862.  From  the 
Brady  collection,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of 
General  Greely 15 

Barricade  in  the  Treasury  Building.     A  wood  cut  published 

in  1861,  from  the  collection  of  Mr.  James  F.  Hood.  ...      24 

Vignette    Portrait   of   General   J.    G.    Barnard.      A   war-time 

engraving   by   A.    H.    Ritchie 27 

View  of  Battery  Kemble.  A  lithograph  in  General  Bar- 
nard's Report  on  the  Defenses  of  Washington 31 

Bomb-proof  Fort  near  Washington.  From  the  Brady  col- 
lection, obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  General 
Greely  43 

Vignette  Portrait  of  Secretary  Welles.  From  the  Brady 
collection,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  General 
Greely  44 

View  of  Battery  Rodgers.  A  lithograph  in  General  Bar- 
nard's Report  on  the  Defenses  of  Washington 47 

A  War-Time  View  of  the  Washington  Navy  Yard.  A  col- 
ored war-time  lithograph,  from  the  collection  of  Mr. 
James  F.  Hood 48 

Vignette  Portrait  of  General  M.  C.  Meigs.  From  the  Brady 
collection,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  General 
Greely  49 

Confederate   Cavalry    Raiding   New   Windsor,    Maryland.      A 

war-time  sketch,  from  the  collection  of  Mr.  W.  V.  Cox,      58 

On   the  Parapet  at  Fort  Stevens.      A  war-time   photograph, 

from  the  collection  of  Mr.  W.  V.  Cox 62 

Vignette  Portrait  of  General  Horatio  G.  Wright.  A  pho- 
tograph by  Prince,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of 
Mrs.  Rosa  Wright  Smith 67 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

Page. 
Night  Attack  on  Fort  Stevens,  July   11,   1864.     A  war-time 

sketch,  from  the  collection  of  Mr.  W.  V.  Cox 71 

Confederate  Assault  on  the  Works  Near  Washington,  July 
12,  1864.  A  war-time  sketch,  from  the  collection  of 
Mr.  W.  V.  Cox 76 

Vignette   Portrait   of   General   T.    M.   Vincent.      A   war-time 

photograph   loaned   by   General   Vincent 80 

Ford's  Theatre  Immediately  After  Lincoln's  Death.  A  con- 
temporary wood  cut  from  the  collection  of  Mr.  James  F. 
Hood  83 

View  of  the  House  in  Which  Lincoln  Died.  A  contempor- 
ary wood  cut,  from  the  collection  of  Mr.  James  F. 
Hood  90 

Vignette  Portrait  of  General  H.  W.  Halleck.  From  the 
Brady  collection  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  Gen- 
eral Greely  91 

The  Grand  Review  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  A  colored 
print,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  General  Vin- 
cent    93 

The  National  Armory,  now  the  U.  S.  Fish  Commission.  A 
war-time  engraving,  from  the  collection  of  Mr.  James 
F.  Hood  99 

Vignette  Portrait  of  Secretary  Stanton.  From  the  Brady 
collection,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  General 
Greely  100 

The  Capitol  Prison.  A  war-time  photograph,  from  the  col- 
lection of  Mr.  James  F.  Hood 119 

Old  War  Department  Building.     A  war-time  print,  from  the 

collection  of  Mr.  James  F.  Hood 135 

Vignette  Portrait  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Bulkley.  A  photograph  by 
Bachrach,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Barry 
Bulkley  138 

Douglas  and  Stanton  Hospitals.  A  colored  lithograph  made 
in  1864,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Max  Lans- 
burgh  143 

Campbell  General  Hospital.  A  colored  lithograph  made  in 
1864,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Max  Lans- 
burgh  153 

Vignette  Portrait  of  General  E.  D.  Townsend.  A  photo- 
graph by  Brady,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr. 
Dallas  B.  Wainwright 154 

View  of  the  Soldier's  Rest.  A  colored  lithograph  made  in 
1864,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Max  Lans- 
burgh  163 

View  of  Military  Asylum  now  Soldiers'  Home.  A  colored 
war-time  lithograph  from  the  collection  of  Mr.  James  F. 
Hood  .  .  172 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page. 

Vignette  Portrait  of  General  Irvin  McDowell.  A  photograph 
taken  in  1861,  obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Max 
Lansburgh  173 

View  of  Long  Bridge.     From  the  Brady  collection,  obtained 

through  the  courtesy  of  General  Greely 181 

Arlington  House.     A  steel  engraving,  from  the  collection  of 

Mr.  James  F.  Hood 184 

Vignette  Portrait  of  Secretary  Holt.  From  the  Brady  col- 
lection, obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  General  Greely,  185 

Eighth  Massachusetts  Regiment  in  the  Capitol.     A  wood  cut 

made  in  1861,  from  the  collection  of  Mr.  James  F.  Hood,   187 

Washington  Arsenal.     A  colored  war-time  lithograph,  from 

the  collection  of  Mr.  James  F.  Hood 194 

Vignette  Portrait  of  John  Hay.     A  photograph  taken  in  1861, 

obtained  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Max  Lansburgh.  .  .    195 

A  Present  Day  View  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue.     A  photograph 

taken  by  Mr.  Horace  Woodward 197 

View  of  City  Hall.     A  steel  engraving,  from  the  collection  of 

Mr.  James  F.  Hood 202 

Map  Showing  location  of  War-Time  Hospitals 204 

Map  of  Fortifications  and  Defenses  of  Washington 207 

Facsimile  of  Military  Pass  Issued  by  Department  of  Wash- 
ington in  1861.  (Back  of  cover.) 


[xi] 


ORGANIZATION 

OF 

THE  UNITED  STATES  GOVERNMENT 


THE  BUCHANAN  ADMINISTRATION. 

(1857-1861.) 

President:  James  Buchanan  (Pa.). 

Vice-President:  John  C.  Breckinridge*   (Ky.). 

Secretary   of   State:    Lewis   Cass    (Mich.);    Jeremiah   S.    Black 

(Pa.),  appointed  Dec.  17,  1860. 
Secretary  of  War:   John  B.  Floyd*    (Va.);   Joseph  Holt   (Ky.) 

(ad   interim)    Dec.    31,    1860;    regularly   appointed    Jan.    18, 

1861. 

Secretary  of  the  Navy:  Isaac  Toucey  (Conn.). 
Secretary    of   the   Treasury:    Howell    Cobb*    (Ga.);    Philip    F. 

Thomas  (Md.),  appointed  Dec.  12,  1860;  John  A.  Dix  (N.  Y.), 

appointed  Jan.  11,  1861. 
Attorney-General:  Jeremiah  S.  Black,  Edwin  M.  Stanton  (Pa.), 

appointed  Dec.  20,  1860. 

Secretary  of  the  Interior:   Jacob  Thompson*    (Miss). 
Postmaster-General:  Aaron  V.  Brown   (Tenn.),  died  March  8, 

1859;  Joseph  Holt   (Ky.),  appointed  March   14,  1859;   Hora- 
tio King  (Me.),  appointed  Feb.  12,  1861. 


II.      THE   LINCOLN  ADMINISTRATION. 
(1861-1865.) 

President:  Abraham  Lincoln   (111.). 

Vice-President:   Hannibal  Hamlin   (Me.). 

Secretary  of  State:  William  H.  Seward  (N.  Y.). 

Secretary  of  War:   Simon  Cameron   (Pa.);   Edwin  M.  Stanton 

(Pa.),  appointed  Jan.  15,  1862. 
Secretary  of  the  Navy:  Gideon  Welles  (Conn.). 
Secretary   of  the   Treasury:    Salmon   P.   Chase    (Ohio);   W.   P. 

Fessenden   (Me.),  appointed  July  1,   1864;  Hugh  McCulloch 

(Ind.),  appointed  March  7,  1865. 
Secretary   of   the   Interior:    Caleb    B.    Smith    (Ind.);    John   P. 

Usher   (Ind.),  appointed  January  8,  1863. 
Attorney-General:   Edward  Bates   (Mo.);   James  Speed   (Ky.), 

appointed  Dec.  2,  1864. 
Postmaster-General:   Montgomery  Blair   (Md.);   William  Den- 

nison  (Ohio),  appointed  September  24,  1864. 


•Afterward  in  the  Confederate  service. 


ORGANIZATION   OF   THE   UNITED   STATES   GOVERNMENT 


THE  UNITED  STATES  WAR  DEPARTMENT. 

Secretary  of  War:  Joseph  Holt  (appointed  January  18,  1861); 
Simon  Cameron  (appointed  March  5,  1861);  Edwin  M.  Stan- 
ton  (appointed  January  15,  1862). 

Assistant  Secretaries  of  War:  Thomas  A.  Scott  (appointed  Aug. 
3,  1861);  Peter  H.  Watson  (appointed  Jan.  24,  1862);  John 
Tucker  (appointed  Jan.  29,  1862);  Christopher  P.  Wolcott 
(appointed  June  12,  1862;  resigned  Jan.  23,  1863);  Charles 
A.  Dana  (appointed  August,  1863).  (Colonel  Scott  was  regu- 
larly commissioned  under  the  Act  of  August  3,  1861,  author- 
izing the  appointment  of  one  Assistant  Secretary  of  War. 
Subsequently  three  Assistant  Secretaries  were  authorized  by 
law.) 

Adjutant-General's  Department:  Colonel  Samuel  Cooper* 
(resigned  March  7,  1861);  Brig.-Gen.  Lorenzo  Thomas  (as- 
signed to  other  duty  March  23,  1863);  Colonel  Edward  D. 
Townsend. 

Quartermaster's  Department:  Brig.-Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston* 
(resigned  April  22,  1861);  Brig.-Gen.  Montgomery  C.  Meigs. 

Subsistence  Department:  Colonel  George  Gibson  (died  Sept.  29, 
1861);  Brig.-Gen.  Joseph  P.  Taylor  (died  Jan.  29,  1864); 
Brig.-Gen.  Amos  B.  Eaton. 

Medical  Department:  Colonel  Thomas  Lawson  (died  May  15, 
1861);  Colonel  Clement  A.  Finley  (retired  April  14,  1862); 
Brig.-Gen.  William  A.  Hammond;  Brig.-Gen.  Joseph  K. 
Barnes  (appointed  Aug.  22,  1864). 

Pay  Department:  Colonel  Benjamin  F.  Lamed  (died  Sept.  6, 
1862);  Colonel  Timothy  P.  Andrews  (retired  Nov.  29,  1864); 
Brig.-Gen.  Benjamin  W.  Brice. 

Corps  of  Topographical  Engineers:  Colonel  John  J.  Abert  (re- 
tired Sept.  9,  1861);  Colonel  Stephen  H.  Long.  (This  corps 
was  consolidated  with  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  under  Act  of 
March  3,  1863.) 

Corps  of  Engineers:  Brig.-Gen.  Joseph  G.  Totten  (died  April 
22,  1864);  Brig.-Gen.  Richard  Delafield. 

Ordnance  Department:  Colonel  Henry  K.  Craig  (until  April  23, 
1861);  Brig.-Gen.  James  W.  Ripley  (retired  Sept.  15,  1863); 
Brig.-Gen.  George  D.  Ramsey  (retired  Sept.  12,  1864);  Brig.- 
Gen.  Alexander  B.  Dyer. 

Bureau  of  Military  Justice:  Major  John  F.  Lee  (resigned  Sept. 
4,  1862);  Brig.-Gen.  Joseph  Holt. 

Bureau  of  the  Provost  Marshal  General  (created  by  Act  of 
March  3,  1863);  Brig.-Gen.  James  B.  Fry. 

General  Officers  of  the  United  States  Army,  January  1,  1861: 
Brevet  Lieut. -Gen.  Winfleld  Scott  (General-in-Chief);  Brig.- 
Generals  John  E.  Wool,  David  E.  Twiggs*,  William  S.  Har- 
ney.  (Note — E.  V.  Sumner  was  promoted  Brigadier-General 
March  16,  1861,  vice  David  E.  Twiggs,  dismissed  March  1. 
1861.) 


•Afterward  in  the  Confederate  service. 


[xlv] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 


THE  UNITED  STATES  NAVY  DEPARTMENT. 

Secretary  of  the  Xavy:  Gideon  Welles. 

Assistant  Secretary:  Gustavus  V.  Fox. 

Yards  and  Docks:  Rear- Admiral  Joseph  Smith. 

Ordnance  and  Hydrography:  Captain  George  A.  Magruder  (dis- 
missed April  22,  1861):  Captain  Andrew  A.  Harwood  (re- 
lieved July  22,  1862);  Rear  Admiral  John  A.  Dahlgren  (re- 
lieved June  24,  1863);  Commander  Henry  A.  Wise.  (By  Act 
of  Congress  of  July  5,  1862,  Hydrography  was  transferred 
to  Bureau  of  Navigation.) 

Navigation  (established  by  Act  of  July  5,  1862):  Rear  Admiral 
Charles  A.  Davis. 

Equipment  and  Recruiting  (established  by  Act  of  July  5, 
1862):  Rear  Admiral  Andrew  H.  Foote  (relieved  June  3, 
1863);  Commander  Albert  N.  Smith. 

Construction.  Equipment,  and  Repair:  Chief  Naval  Construc- 
tor John  Lenthall.  (By  Act  of  July  5,  1862,  the  Equipment 
and  Recruiting  Bureau  was  organized,  and  thereafter  the 
old  bureau  was  designated  as  Construction  and  Repair.) 

Provisions  and  Clothing:   Pay-Director  Horatio  Bridge. 

Medicine  and  Su'-^fiy:   Surtreon  William  Whelan. 

Steam  Engineering  (established  by  Act  of  July  5,  1862):  Engi- 
neer-in-Chief  Benjamin  F.  Isherwood. 


[xv] 


CtNK 
WI.NFJELD  SCOTT 


Washington  on  the  Eve  of  the  Civil  War 

BY  WILHELMUS  BOGART  BRYAN 

Chronicler  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society 

ASHINGTON  at  the  beginning 
of  the  Civil  War,  its  appearance, 
its  material  and  social  phases, 
and  the  features  incident  to  the 
opening  scenes  of  the  great  drama 
of  the  war,  has  been  described  by  a 
number  of  contemporary  writers. 
A  selection  of  extracts  from  some 
of  these  articles  has  been  made 
for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  a 
description,  as  full  as  possible, 
of  the  city  as  it  was  forty  years 
ago. 

The  picture  presented  is  by  no  means  complete,  for  in 
no  instance  did  those  quoted  set  out  with  the  purpose  of 
writing  a  history  of  the  city.  Otherwise  we  would  have 
had  statistics  from  official  documents,  and  details  more 
or  less  wearisome.  The  following  rather  gossipy  and 
pleasant  narratives  furnish  some  facts  w7hich  grave  his- 
torians are  apt  to  omit,  but  which  have  a  recognized  value 
in  forming  any  just  estimate  of  the  times  that  are  past. 

Washington  of  the  war  period  as  seen  through  the  ejres 
of  contemporaries  is  therefore  presented  for  the  inspec- 
tion of  a  later  generation. 

Mrs.  Mary  E.  W.  Sherwood,  whose  delightful  remin- 
iscences of  the  past  have  charmed  so  many  readers,  writes 

[3] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

agreeably  of  "Washington  Before  the  War"  in  Lippin- 
cotfs  Magazine  for  August,  1894.  From  her  paper  the 
following  extract  is  taken: 

It  was  a  straggling  mudhole  in  winter,  but  when  spring 
came  it  was  as  beautiful  (in  spots)  as  it  is  now,  and  it 
had  a  gentler  winter  climate  than  at  present.  I  have 
picked  roses  in  January  in  Mrs.  Seaton's  garden. 

Mrs.  Fremont,  her  sister,  Sue  Benton,  some  pretty 
girls  named  Smith,  the  gifted  nieces  of  Madame  Cald- 
eron,  the  beautiful  Mrs.  Barton  Key;  in  fact,  all  our 
neighbors,  on  summer  evenings  would  run  about  to  visit 
each  other  without  bonnets.  People  sat  on  the  doorsteps, 
and  I  have  often  seen  a  set  of  intimates  walk  up  Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue  to  the  old  Capitol  grounds,  attended  by  sen- 
ators and  secretaries  with  their  heads  bare,  at  seven 
o'clock  of  a  fine  summer  evening. 

The  following  is  an  account  of  "The  Methods  of  Local 
Travel"  prior  tc  the  building  in  the  year  1862  of  the  first 
street  car  line  in  the  District,  namely  the  one  on  Penn- 
sylvania Avenue  which  extended  from  the  Capitol  to 
Fifteenth  and  G  Streets.  This  paper  was  originally 
presented  before  the  Association  of  the  Oldest  Inhabi- 
tants and  was  published  in  the  Evening  Star  of  December 
15,1899: 

The  best  days  of  the  omnibus  were  in  the  fifties,  for 
besides  the  two  main  lines,  Xailor's  and  the  Union,  which 
ran  by  a  schedule  for  a  five-cent  fare  from  the  West 
Capitol  gate  to  Georgetown,  each  with  twenty-five  or 
thirty  busses,  were  the  Peoples'  Line  of  Moore,  Van- 
sciver  and  Cooper,  the  Citizens  Union  Line  owned  by 
Weedon,  McDermott,  Ryther.  and  a  number  of  livery 
men,  coach  builders,  and  hackmen  with  some  fifteen  or 
twenty  coaches.  There  were  nearly  a  hundred  such  vehi- 
cles plying.  There  were  the  old  lines  from  the  Capitol 
to  Georgetown ;  the  Kavy  Yard  line ;  and  one  from  Sixth 
Street  by  way  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  Seventh  Street. 

[4] 


ON    THE    EVE    OF   THE    CIVIL   WAR 

Maryland  Avenue  and  Eleventh  Street  to  and  from  the 
;  steamboat  wharves. 

"Social  Aspects  of  Washington  before  the  Disunion"  is 
the  title  of  an  anonymous  communication  that  appeared 
in  Once-a-Week  on  December  6,  18G2.  The  writer  is 
apparently  of  English  origin  and  from  the  account  of  the 
market  was  probably  a  woman.  It  contains  the  follow- 
ing interesting,  paragraphs: 

The  great  heat  in  summer,  which  renders  it  desirable  to 
have  deep  houses,  is  another  reason  for  their  exceeding 
ugliness.  The  rooms  are  always  badly  proportioned,  long 
and  narrow  with  windows  at  one  end,  and  often  the  plan  is 
so  defective  that  there  is  a  dark  room  on  every  floor,  merely 
lighted  from  the  passage.  Four  years  ago  there  were  but 
few  houses  which  had  water  led  into  them  in  pipes ;  every 
drop  of  water  had  to  be  fetched  from  the  neighboring 
pump.  In  the  spring  the  houses  undergo  a  complete 
transformation;  cool  mattings  are  laid  down,  and  mir- 
rors, picture  frames,  clocks,  and  ornaments  of  all  kinds  are 
swathed  in  pink  net  to  protect  them  from  the  swarm  of 
flies  who  are  anathematised  under  the  name  of  bugs. 
*  *  *  Spring  is  a  most  enjoyable  season  in  AVashington ; 
in  March  the  heat  begins  and  soon  the  peach  trees  are 
covered  with  pink  blossoms  as  thick  as  new  fallen  snow. 
The  magnolias  lade  the  air  with  delicious  fragrance  and 
countless  rainbow-hued  blossoms  adorn  the  stately  tulip 
tree  and  afford  shelter  in  their  chalices  for  the  fragile  hum- 
ming bird.  Then  is  the  season  of  picnics  to  Mount 
Vernon  and  the  Falls;  one  of  the  great  amusements  at 
the  last-mentioned  place  is  catching  the  shad,  an  excel- 
lent fish  like  a  white  salmon,  and  broiling  it  on  a  plank 
beside  a  fierce  fire.  *  *  *  The  great  market  at  Washing- 
ton is  worth  a  visit.  It  is  ten  times  the  size  of  Covent 
Garden.  The  stir,  the  excitement  of  venders  and  buyers, 
the  quaint  old  niggers  selling  their  poultry  and  vegeta- 
bles, and  the  numerous  ladies,  senators'  wives  included, 
going  from  stall  to  stall  inspecting  fish,  flesh,  and  fowl 
and  pausing  at  the  pyramids  of  vegetables  to  fill  the 

[5] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

immense  basket  with  which  their  sable  attendant  is  laden, 
render  it  well  worth  the  trouble  of  getting  up  at  six  in 
the  morning.  It  is  an  almost  universal  custom  among  the 
thrifty  housewives  thus  to  attend  to  their  household  con- 
cerns. One  senator's  wife  went  even  further  and  avowed 
with  pride  that  being  unable  to  get  her  ballroom  waxed  to 
her  mind  she  "reckoned  she  just  got  down  on  here  knees 
and  did  it  herself."  Good  kindly  souls  they  are,  and  if 
they  do  pickle  hams  and  wash  up  tea  cups  with  their  own 
hands,  why  our  own  great  grandmothers  did  the  same. 

Congress  generally  prorogued  alternately  in  March  or 
July,  and  woe  betide  the  unhappy  mortals  Avho  had  to 
wait  on  till  the  close  of  the  session  in  July.  The  heat  then 
became  almost  tropical,  92  degrees  Fahrenheit  in  the 
shade.  The  flies  rivalled  those  of  Egyptian  fame,  the 
stinks  of  the  ill-drained  city  became  pestiferous,  the  fierce 
sunlight  penetrated  through  the  very  walls  of  the  badly- 
built  houses.  Washington  was  unendurable,  and  all  who 
could  beat  a  speedy  retreat  to  Nahant,  Saratoga,  and  the 
Sulphur  Springs. 

There  appeared  in  Bentley^s  Miscellany  for  1861  an 
article  entitled  "The  Federal  City  of  Washington,"  by 
J.  G.  Kohl.  The  author  is  evidently  a  foreigner,  and 
presents  an  interesting  picture  of  Washington  at  the  time 
mentioned.  A  few  quotations  are  given: 

The  streets  are  miles  in  length  and  superfluously  broad, 
and  in  the  suburbs  small  cottages  stand  at  wide  intervals. 
Only  in  the  center  is  there  a  more  compact  body,  and  the 
whole  resembles  a  frame  of  Berlin  wool  work  in  which 
the  fair  embroideress  has  made  spasmodic  attempts  at  a 
commencement.  *  *  *  There  is  no  state  in  the  world 
which  possesses  proportionately  so  small,  scantily  popu- 
lated, and  shabby  a  capital  as  the  American  Union.  *  *  * 
Pennsylvania  Avenue  connects  the  House  of  Congress 
and  the  White  House  in  a  straight  line,  and  is  hence  one 
of  the  principal  arteries  of  circulation  in  the  city.  It  was 
for  a  long  time  the  only  paved  street  in  Washington,  and, 
indeed,  the  majority  of  the  streets  are  still  without  that 

[6] 


ON    THE    EVE    OF   THE    CIVIL   WAR 

useful  article.  During  the  rainy  weather,  consequently, 
the  city  is  a  swamp  and  the  dry  season  constantly  full  of 
dust  clouds.  Along  Pennsylvania  Avenue  are  the  princi- 
pal shops,  and  hence  it  is  the  favorite,  almost  sole  prome- 
nade of  the  fair  sex.  *  "  *  A  little  muddy  stream,  which 
in  winter  boars  a  little  water  along  the  base  of  the 
Capitol,  but  in  summer  is  hardly  liquid  enough  for  geese, 
is  called  Tiber  Creek.  *  *  * 

Washington  is  well  provided  with  pleasant  gardens, 
clumps  of  trees,  alleys,  and  flower  beds.  This  circum- 
stance, and  especially  that  of  the  long  rows  of  trees 
accompanying  the  streets,  gives  the  city  a  very  pleasant 
aspect  and  it  looks  like  a  large  rural  village.  The  pret- 
tiest gardens  and  public  places  are  around  the  White 
House,  or  the  Mansion  as  it  is  called  in  the  higher  and 
official  style.  *  *  *  During  spring,  which  often  begins 
here  in  February  with  the  pleasantest  day  and  the  mildest 
air,  the  city  assumes  an  almost  idyllic  garb.  The  kine 
pasture  in  the  streets,  the  bull  frogs  croak  and  roar  in  the 
side  lanes.  The  birds  of  passage  twitter  in  all  the  trees 
and  the  humming  birds  flash  around  every  flower.*  *  * 
A  portion  of  the  Washington  street  population  consists 
of  negroes,  both  free  and  slaves.  *  *  *  On  Sunday  the 
city  appears  almost  entirely  to  belong  to  the  negroes,  for 
on  that  day  the}^,  and  especially  their  wives,  or  as  they 
call  them  "ladies,"  parade  in  the  most  elegant  costumes, 
the  most  glaring  colors,  the  broadest  crinolines,  rustling 
in  silks  and  most  closely  imitating  the  white  ladies  and 
gentlemen. 

"Washington  City"  is  the  title  of  an  article  that 
appeared  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly  for  January,  1861,  by 
G.  W.  Bagby.  The  following  extract  taken  from  that 
paper  seems  indeed  curious  at  the  present  time  and 
almost  incredible: 

Planned  on  a  scale  of  surpassing  grandeur,  its  architec- 
tural execution  is  almost  contemptible.  *  *  *  It  is  a 
city  without  commerce  and  without  manufactures.  *  *  * 
The  site  of  the  U.  S.  Treasury,  it  is  the  home  of  every- 

m 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

thing  but  affluence.  Its  public  buildings  are  splendid,  its 
private  buildings  generally  squalid.  The  houses  are  IOAV. 
the  rents  high.  The  streets  are  broad,  the  crossings  nar- 
row. The  hacks  are  black  and  the  horses  are  white;  the 
squares  are  triangular,  except  that  of  the  Capitol,  which 
is  oval;  and  the  water  is  so  soft  that  it  is  hard  to  drink 
it  even  with  the  admixture  of  alcohol.  It  has  a  monument 
that  will  never  be  finished,  a  Capitol  that  is  to  have  a 
dome,  a  scientific  institute  which  does  nothing  but  report 
the  rise  and  fall  of  the  thermometer;  and  two  pieces  of 
equestrian  statuary  which  it  would  be  a  waste  of  time  to 
criticise. 

It  boasts  a  streamlet  dignified  with  the  name  of  the 
river  Tiber,  and  this  streamlet  is  of  the  size  and  much 
the  appearance  of  a  vein  in  a  dirty  man's  arm.  It  has  a 
canal,  but  this  canal  is  a  mud  puddle  during  one  half  of 
the  day  and  an  empty  ditch  during  the  other.*  *  *  After 
a  fortnight  of  steady  rain,  the  sun  shines  out  and  in  half 
an  hour  the  streets  are  filled  with  clouds  of  dust.  *  *  * 
The  men  are  fine  looking,  the  women  homely.  *  *  *  Not- 
withstanding all  these  impediments  and  disadvantages, 
Washington  is  progressing  rapidly.  It  is  fast  becoming 
a  large  city,  but  it  must  always  remain  a  deserted  village 
in  the  summer.  Its  destiny  is  that  of  the  Union. 

Captain  Thomas  M.  Woodruff,  who  served  during  the 
Civil  War  in  the  Fifth  Infantry,  writes  pleasantly  on 
"Early  War  Days  in  the  Nation's  Capital"  for  the  War 
Papers  of  the  Minnesota  Commandery  of  the  Loyal 
Legion.  He  was  in  the  Capital  at  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  War,  and  describes  the  public  buildings  in  the  fol- 
lowing words : 

These  buildings  were  not  what  you  see  them  now,  nor 
was  the  city  such  as  it  is  at  present.  The  dome  of  the 
Capitol  had  only  reached  to  the  second  tier  of  columns, 
and  the  House  and  Senate  wings  were  quite  incomplete. 
The  north  front  and  inner  court  of  the  Patent  Office  were 
in  course  of  construction ;  the  Post  Office  was  only  about 
pno-third  completed;  only  the  east  front  of  the  Treasury 

[8] 


ON    THE    EVE   OF   THE    CIVIL    WAR 

building  existed.  The  State  Department  stood  upon 
ground  to  which  has  been  extended  the  north  wing  of 
the  Treasury.  The  War  and  Navy  Departments  were 
old  three-story  brick  buildings,  on  ground  where  now 
stands  the  beautiful  granite  pile  comprising  the  offices  for 
the  State  and  the  two  last-named  departments.  The 
Washington  Monument  had,  by  the  voluntary  contribu- 
tions of  a  grateful  people,  reached  to  one-third  of  its 
proposed  height,  and  had  practically  come  to  a  standstill 
—which  now  is  apparent  by  the  sharp  line  where  the 
cleaner  marble  shows  a  renewal  of  the  work  by  means 
of  Congressional  appropriations.  Pennsylvania  Avenue 
and  about  one  mile  of  Seventh  Street  were  practically  the 
only  paved  streets,  and  for  these  cobblestones  were  used, 
from  between  which,  for  half  of  the  year,  there  was  the 
ooze  of  some  of  slavedom's  nastiest  slime,  that  during  the 
rest  of  the  year  became  a  palpable  uust,  typical  of  the 
dark  cloud  that  had  settled  over  the  Southern  States,  that 
just  needed  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  to  clear  away 
and  let  in  the  wholesome  sunlight  of  freedom. 

Our  last  quotations  are  from  the  pen  of  Theodore 
Winthrop,  that  gifted  young  author  whose  "Cecil  Dreeme" 
gave  such  promise  of  genius  that  his  death  by  a  bullet 
at  Big  Bethel  was  greatly  deplored  both  in  this  country 
and  abroad.  At  the  request  of  James  Russell  Lowell, 
then  editor  of  the  Atlantic  Monthly,  he  wrote  two  articles 
for  that  magazine,  and  from  his  "Washington  as  a 
Camp"  that  appeared  in  July,  1861,  a  few  days  after  his 
death,  the  following  extracts  are  taken : 

We  marched  up  the  hill,  and  when  the  dust  opened 
there  was  our  Big  Tent  ready  pitched.  It  was  an  enor- 
mous tent,  the  Sibley  pattern  modified.  A  simple  soul  in 
our  ranks  looked  up  and  said,  "Tent!  Canvas!  I  don't 
see  it.  That's  marble."  Whereupon  a  simpler  soul 
informed  us,  "Boys,  that's  the  Capitol."  And  so  it  was 
the  Capitol,  as  glad  to  see  the  New  York  Seventh  Regi- 
ment as  they  to  see  it.  The  Capitol  was  to  be  our  quarters, 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

and  I  was  pleased  to  notice  that  the  top  of  the  dome  had 
been  left  off  for  ventilation.  The  Seventh  had  had  a 
wearisome  and  anxious  progress  from  New  York.  We 
had  marched  from  Annapolis.  *  They  gave  us  the 

Representatives"  chamber  for  quarters.  *  *  Some  of 
our  companies  were  marched  up  stairs  into  the  galleries. 
The  sofas  were  to  be  their  beds.  *  *  Most  of  us  were 
bestowed  in  the  amphitheater.  Each  desk  received  its 
man.  He  was  to  scribble  on  it  by  day  and  sleep  under 
it  by  night.  When  the  desks  were  all  taken,  the  com- 
panies overflowed  into  the  corridors  and  into  the  lobbies. 
The  staff  took  committee  rooms.  The  Colonel  reigned  in 
the  Speaker's  parlor. 

Once  in,  firstly  we  washed.  *  *  *  After  we  washed 
we  showed  ourselves  to  the  eyes  of  Washington,  march- 
ing in  companies  fcach  to  a  different  hotel  to  dinner.  This 
became  one  of  the  ceremonies  of  our  barrack  life.  We 
liked  it.  The  Washingtonians  were  amused  and  encour- 
aged by  it.  *  *  *  But  the  best  of  the  entertainment  was 
within  the  Capitol.  Some  three  thousand  or  more  of  us 
were  now  quartered  there.  The  Massachusetts  Eighth 
were  under  the  dome.  No  fear  for  want  of  air  for  them. 
The  Massachusetts  Sixth  were  eloquent  for  their  state 
in  the  Senate  Chamber.  In  the  recesses,  caves,  and  crypts 
of  the  Capitol,  what  other  legions  were  bestowed  I  do  not 
know.  '  *  *  The  men  were  sworn  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States  the  afternoon  of  April  26.*  *  *  We  were 
drawn  up  by  companies  in  the  Capitol  square  for  mus- 
tering in.  '  *  *  When  we  had  been  ten  days  in  our 
showy  barracks,  we  began  to  quarrel  with  luxury.  *  *  * 
The  May  sunshine,  the  birds,  and  the  breezes  of  Mav 
invited  us  to  camp — the  genuine  thing  under  canvas. 
Besides  Uncles  Sam  and  Abe  wanted  our  room  for  other 
company.  Washington  was  filling  up  fast  with  uniforms. 
One  afternoon  my  company,  the  Ninth,  and  the  Engi- 
neers, the  Tenth,  were  detailed  to  follow  Captain  Viele 
and  lay  out  a  camp  on  Meridian  Hill.  As  we  had  the  first 
choice,  we  got  on  the  whole  the  best  site  for  a  camp.  We 
occupied  the  villa  and  farm  of  Dr.  Stone,  two  miles  due 
north  of  Willard's  Hotel.  *  *  *  The  house  stands  upon 

[10] 


ON    THE    EVE    OF   THE    CIVIL   WAR 

the  pretty  terrace  commanding  the  plain  of  Washington. 
From  the  upper  windows  we  can  see  the  Potomac  opening 
southward  like  a  lake  and  between  us  and  the  water 
ambitious  Washington  stretching  itself  along  and  along 
like  the  shackly  files  of  an  army  of  recruits.  Oaks  love 
the  soil  of  this  terrace.  There  are  some  noble  ones  on  the 
undulations  before  the  house.  Let  the  ivy-covered  stem 
of  the  Big  Oak  of  Camp  Cameron  take  its  place  in  litera- 
ture. *  *  *  The  old  villa  serves  us  for  headquarters.  It 
is  a  respectable  place,  not  without  its  pretensions.  Four 
granite  pillars,  as  true  grit  as  if  the  two  Presidents 
Adams  had  lugged  them  on  their  shoulders  from  Quincy, 
Mass.,  make  a  carriage  porch.  Here  is  the  Colonel  in  the 
big  west  parlor,  the  Quartermaster  and  Commissary  in 
the  rooms  with  sliding  doors  in  the  east,  the  Hospital 
upstairs,  and  so  on.  Other  rooms  numerous  as  the  cells 
in  a  monastery  serve  as  quarters  for  the  Engineer  com- 
pany. These  dens  are  not  monastic  in  aspect.  *  *  *  In 
the  middle  hours  in  the  day  it  is  in  order  to  get  a  pass 
to  go  to  Washington  or  to  visit  some  of  the  camps  which 
now,  in  the  middle  of  May,  begin  to  form  a  cordon  around 
the  city.  Our  Capital  seems  arranged  by  nature  to  be 
protected  by  fortified  camps  on  the  circuit  of  its  hills.  It 
may  be  made  almost  a  Verona  if  need  be.  Our  brother 
regiments  have  posts  nearly  as  charming  as  our  own  in 
these  fair  groves  and  on  these,  fair  slopes  on  either  side 
of  us. 

The  writer  gives  an  account  of  the  order  of  May  23,  for 
an  advance  at  midnight  into  Virginia,  the  beginning  of 
Federal  occupation  of  that  State.  After  leaving  camp 
he  says : 

So  we  pegged  along  to  Washington  and  across  Wash- 
ington which  at  that  point  consists  of  Willard's  Hotel. 
fewT  other  buildings  being  in  sight.  *  *  *  Opposite  that 
bald  block  the  Washington  Monument  and  opposite  what 
was  of  more  importance  to  us — a  drove  of  beeves  putting 
beef  on  their  bones  in  the  seedy  grounds  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution,  we  were  halted  while  the  New  Jersey 

[11] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

brigade,  some  three  thousand  of  them,  trudged  by.  *  *  * 
The  Long  Bridge  thus  far  has  been  merely  a  shabby 
causeway  with  water  ways  and  draws. 

The  writer  then  describes  the  construction  of  the  earth- 
works on  the  ridge  along  the  road  to  Alexandria  at  the 
place  where  that  road  bends  from  west  to  south  and  the 
return  on  May  2G  of  the  regiment  to  Camp  Cameron, 
when,  as  the  thirty  days  had  expired,  it  was  mustered 
out  of  the  service. 


,f  I 


A   War-Time  View   of  Pennsylvania  Avenue  from   the   Capitol. 


[12] 


The  Military  Situation  in  Washington  in  1861 


BY  MARCUS  BENJAMIN 

President  of  the  Society  of  the  War  of  1812 

HE  winter  months  of  the 
year  18GO-G1  were  full  of 
gloom  to  the  residents  of 
Washington.  The  fear- 
ful apprehension  of  the 
terrible  nearness  of  the 
dreaded  Civil  "War  was 
constantly  before  them. 
It  will  be  remembered 
that  after  an  intensely 
earnest  and  anxious  can- 
vass, Abraham  Lincoln, 
the  candidate  of  the  Re- 

GEN.CHAS.P.STONE  publican  party,  had  been 

elected  on  a  platform  that  denied  the  extension  of  slavery 
in  the  new  States.  Distinct  threats  that  the  success  of 
the  Republican  candidate  would  be  the  signal  for  dis- 
union, made  during  the  heat  of  the  canvass  by  extreme 
leaders  in  the  Southern  States,  were  soon  found  to  be 
true.  On  December  20,  I860,  South  Carolina  passed  an 
ordinance  of  secession  and  several  of  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  Mr.  Buchanan's  cabinet  manifested  their  clearly 
defined  opinions  by  promptly  withdrawing  from  their 
offices.  It  was  indeed  fortunate  that  staunch  Union  men, 
such  as  John  A.  Dix  and  Joseph  Holt,  were  induced  to 

[13] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

take  up  the  arduous  duties  of  the  Treasury  Department 
and  the  War  Department  at  that  critical  period,  even 
though  it  was  but  for  a  few  months. 

Of  the  former,  whose  appointment  was  made  at  the 
urgent  request  of  the  financial  men  of  New  York  city,  it 
is  a  matter  of  official  record  that  when  he  took  office  there 
were  two  revenue  cutters  at  New  Orleans,  which  he 
ordered  to  New  York.  The  Captain  of  one  of  these,  after 
consulting  with  the  Collector  in  New  Orleans,  refused  to 
obey.  Secretary  Dix  thereupon  telegraphed: 

Tell  Lieutenant  Caldwell  to  arrest  Captain  Breshwood, 
assume  command  of  the  cutter,  and  obey  the  order  I  gave 
through  you.  If  Captain  Breshwood,  after  arrest,  under- 
takes to  interfere  with  the  command  of  the  cutter,  tell 
Lieutenant  Caldwell  to  consider  him  as  a  mutineer,  and 
treat  him  accordingly.  //  anyone  attempts  to  haul  down 
the  American  flag,  shoot  him  on  the  spot. 

These  memorable  words  written  in  Washington,  will 
live  so  long  as  the  Stars  and  Stripes  continue  to  float  over 
our  glorious  country. 

Passing  to  the  military  situation,  a  bill  had  been  pre- 
pared under  the  direction  of  the  retiring  Secretary  of 
War,  abolishing  all  existing  laws  regulating  the  District 
of  Columbia  militia  and  volunteers  and  providing  for  a 
new  organization,  so  that  to  quote  General  Charles  P. 
Stone,  who  became,  at  the  request  of  General  Scott. 
Inspector  General  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  on  Jan- 
uary 2,  1861 : 

The  only  regular  troops  near  the  Capital  of  the  country 
were  three  hundred  or  four  hundred  marines  at  the 
Marine  Barracks,  and  perhaps  a  hundred  enlisted  men  of 
ordnance  at  the  Washington  Arsenal.  The  old  militia 
system  had  been  abandoned  (without  being  legally  abol- 

[14] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

ished),  and  Congress  had  passed  no  laws  establishing  a 
new  one.  The  only  armed  volunteer  organizations  in  the 
District  of  Columbia  were:  one  company  of  riflemen  al 
Georgetown  (the  Potomac  Light  Infantry),  one  company 
of  riflemen  in  Washington  (the  National  Rifles),  a  skele- 
ton battalion  of  infantry  (the  Washington  Light  Infan- 
try) of  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  men,  and  another 
small  organization  called  the  National  Guard  Battalion. 

Of  these  local  organizations  the  Potomac  Light  Infan- 
try Company  of  Georgetown  was  fairly  drilled,  well 
armed,  and  from  careful  information  it  seemed  certain 
that  the  majority  of  its  members  could  be  depended  upon 
in  case  of  need.  The  National  Rifles,  through  their  com- 
manding officer,  announced  as  their  purpose  "to  guard  the 
frontier  of  Maryland  and  help  to  keep  the  Yankees  from 
coming  down  to  coerce  the  South!"  On  the  other  hand, 
the  Washington  Light  Infantry  organization  and  the 
National  Guard  were  old  volunteers,  composed  of  resi- 
dents of  Washington,  and  were  almost  to  a  man  faithful 
to  the  Government. 

Colonel  Stone  at  once  set  to  work  to  organize  volunteers 
for  the  preservation  of  order  in  the  District,  and  in  six 
weeks,  or  by  the  middle  of  February,  was  able  to  report 
that  "thirty-three  companies  of  infantry  and  riflemen  and 
two  troops  of  cavalry  were  on  the  lists  of  the  District 
volunteer  force;  and  all  had  been  uniformed,  equipped, 
and  put  under  frequent  drill." 

The  necessity  of  this  force  soon  became  apparent.  A 
plan  had  been  organized  for  the  purpose  of  seizing  the 
public  departments  at  an  opportune  moment  and  obtain- 
ing possession  of  the  seals  of  the  Government.  The  par', 
assigned  to  the  battalion  organized  under  the  name  of  tha 
National  Volunteers  was  to  take  possession  of  the  Treas- 


[16] 


THE  MILITARY  SITUATION 

u  ry  Department  for  the  benefit  of  a  new  provisional 
government. 

This  project,  through  the  energetic  efforts  of  Colonel 
Stone,  was  effectually  prevented  by  his  refusal  to  honor  n 
requisition  for  arms  and  armament. 

In  this  connection  it  is  eminently  desirable  to  again 
quote  from  Colonel  Stone,  who  has  expressed  his  thorough 
appreciation  of  the  services  of  these  volunteer  soldiers  in 
the  following  terms: 

I  think  that  the  country  has  never  properly  appreci- 
ated* the  services  of  those  District  of  Columbia  volun- 
teers. It  certainly  lias  not  appreciated  the  difficulties 
surmounted  in  their  organization.  Those  volunteers  were 
citi/ens  of  the  Federal  District,  and  therefore  had  not 
at  the  time,  nor  have  they  ever  since  had,  the  powerful 
stimulant  of  a  State  feeling,  nor  the  powerful  support  of 
a  State  government,  a  Stale's  pride,  a  State  press  to  set 
forth  and  make  much  of  their  services.  They  did  their 
duty  quietly,  and  they  did  it  well  and  faithfully. 
Although  not  mustered  into  the  service  and  placed  on  pay 
until  after  the  fatal  day  when  the  flag  was  fired  upon, 
for  the  first  time,  at  Sumter.  yet  they  rendered  great 
service  before  that  time  in  giving  confidence  to  those 
citi/ens  of  the  District  who  were  faithful  to  the  Govern- 
ment, in  giving  confidence  to  members  of  the  national 
legislature,  and  in  giving  confidence  also  to  the  President 
in  the  knowledge  that  there  was  at  least  a  small  force  at 
his  disposal  ready  to  respond  at  any  moment  to  his  call. 
It  should  also  be  remembered  of  them,  that  the  first  troops 
mustered  into  the  service  were  sixteen  companies  of  these 
volunteers:  and  that,  during  the  dark  days  when  Wash- 
ington was  cut  off  from  communication  with  the  North. 
when  railway  bridges  were  burned  and  tracks  torn  up, 
when  the  Potomac  was  blockaded,  these  troops  were  the 

*The  total  number  of  men  received  into  the  United  States  service 
nn<l  credited  to  the  District  from  the  beginning  to  the  close  of 
the  Rebellion,  was  16,872. — Journal  of  the  Executive  Council  of 
the  City  of  Washington,  1866-67,  page  728, 

8  [17] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

only  reliance  of  the  Government  for  guarding  the  public 
departments,  for  preserving  order  and  for  holding  the 
bridges  and  other  outposts;  that  these  were  the  troops 
which  iv<-ovcr;"(l  possession  of  the  railway  from  Washing- 
ton to  Annapolis  Junction  and  made  practicable  the 
re-opening  of  communication.  They  also  formed  the 
advance  guard  of  the  force  which  first  crossed  the  Poto- 
mac into  Virginia,  and  captured  the  city  of  Alexandria. 

A  military  force  having  been  organized,  the  next  im- 
portant consideration  was  the  preparation  of  a  plan  for 
the  defense  of  the  Capital. 

Washington  as  a  military  post  had  no  natural  strength. 
It  was  accessible  to  an  enemy  on  all  sides.  Moreover,  a 
considerable  portion  of  its  inhabitants  was  believed  to  be 
in  sympathy  with  the  people  of  the  South,  and  would 
have  welcomed  with  joy  the  advent  of  the  Rebel  soldiers. 
The  adjacent  country  Avas  also  the  home  of  those  who 
served  in  the  Confederate  Army,  and  whose  fathers, 
mothers,  brothers,  sisters  and  sweethearts  anxiously 
waited  for  the  hour  when  the  hated  blue  of  the  Yankees 
should  no  longer  afflict  them  with  its  presence.  These 
residents,  peaceable  and  harmless  though  they  seemed, 
were  in  reality  a  multitude  of  spies,  through  whom  the 
condition  of  the  Capital  was  always  known  to  the  enemy. 

As  Inspector  General  of  the  District  of  Columbia 
Colonel  Stone  was  in  command  of  the  District  troops,  all 
the  infantry  and  cavalry  which  the  Government  then  had 
at  its  disposition  for  the  defense  of  the  Federal  District, 
the  preservation  of  order  in  the  Capital,  and  the  guarding 
of  the  public  buildings  and  archives  of  the  nation.  It  was 
his  duty  to  so  station  the  troops  that  all  approaches  to 
the  city  should  be  constantly  watched,  and  he  held  pos- 
session not  only  of  the  Long  Bridge  and  Chain  Bridge 
over  the  Potomac,  but  also  stationed  pickets  far  out  on 

[18] 


THE  MILITARY  SITUATION 

the  roads  leading  into  the  city,  and  placed  nightly  guards 
in  all  of  the  public  buildings. 

.Mention  must  be  made  of  the  seizure  of  the  railroads 
niul  telegraphs,  as  well  as  the  interesting  incidents  con- 
nected with  the  successful  inauguration  of  President  Lin- 
coln as  among  the  events  that  occurred  during  the  early 
months  of  1801,  in  which  active  participation  was  had  by 
the  volunteers  under  Colonel  Stone. 

The  condition  of  affairs  soon  became  critical,  as  is 
shown  by  the  following  conversation,  which  took  place 
between  General  Scott  and  Colonel  Stone,  early  in  18G1. 

General  Scott  said:  "Gosport  Navy  Yard  has  been 
burned  I"1  I  replied,  quietly :  "Yes,  General !"  He  contined : 
"Harper's  Ferry  bridge  has  been  burned!"  Again  I 
replied :  "Yes,  General."  Again  he  spoke:  "The  bridge  at 
Point  of  Rocks  was  burned  some  days  since!"  I  replied: 
"Yes,  General."  He  continued:  "The  bridges  over  Gun- 
powder Creek  beyond  Baltimore  have  been  burned!"  I 
still  replied:  "Yes,  General."  He  added:  "They  are 
closing  their  coils  around  us,  sir!"  Still  I  replied,  in  the 
same  tone:  "Yes,  General."  "Nowr,"  said  the  general, 
"how  long  can  we  hold  out  here?"  I  replied:  "Ten  days. 
General,  and  within  that  time  the  North  will  come  down 
to  us." 

"How  will  they  come?  The  route  through  Baltimore 
is  cut  off." 

"They  will  come  by  all  routes.  They  will  come  between 
the  capes  of  Virginia,  up  through  Chesapeake  Bay,  and 
by  the  Potomac.  They  will  come,  if  necessary,  from 
Pennsylvania  through  Maryland  directly  to  us;  and  they 
will  come  through  Baltimore  and  Annapolis." 

After  some  further  discussion,  General  Scott  asked : 

"Where  are  your  centers?" 

[19] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

"There  are  three.  General.  First,  the  Capitol,  where 
have  been  stored  some  two  thousand  barrels  of  flour,  and 
where  Major  McDowell  remains  every  night  with  from 
two  hundred  to  three  hundred  of  my  volunteers.  Second. 
the  City  Hall  hill,  a  commanding  point,  with  broad 
avenues  and  wide  streets  connecting  it  with  most  import- 
ant points,  having  in  its  vicinity  the  Patent  Office  and 
the  General  Post  Office,  in  each  of  which  I  place  a  force 
every  night.  In  the  General  Post  Office  we  have  stored  a 
large  quantity  of  flour.  Third,  the  Executive  Square, 
including  the  President's  House,  the  "War,  Navy,  State, 
and  Treasury  Departments,  in  each  of  which,  and  in 
Winder's  building,  I  place  a  force  every  night  after  dusk. 
The  citadel  of  this  center  is  the  Treasury  building.  The 
basement  has  been  barricaded  very  strongly  by  Captain 
Franklin  of  the  Engineers,  who  remains  there  at  night 
and  takes  charge  of  the  force.  The  front  of  the  Treasury 
building  is  well  flanked  by  the  State  Department  build- 
ing, and  fifty  riflemen  are  nightly  on  duty  there.  The 
building  opposite  is  also  occupied  at  nights.  The  out- 
posts at  Benning's  bridge  and  the  pickets  in  that  direction 
will,  in  case  of  attack  in  force,  retire,  fighting,  to  the 
Capitol.  Those  on  the  northeast  and  north  will,  if 
pressed,  retire  by  Seventh  street  to  the  City  Hall  hill, 
while  those  on  the  northwest  and  west  will,  in  case  of 
attack,  fall  back  and  finally  take  refuge  in  the  Treasury 
building,  where  they  will  be  joined  by  the  detachments 
guarding  the  river  front  when  the  attack  shall  have 
become  so  marked  and  serious  that  only  the  centers  can 
be  held.  In  the  Treasury  building  are  stored  two  thousand 
barrels  of  flour,  and  perhaps  the  best  water  in  the  city 
is  to  be  found  there.  The  city  is  so  admirably  laid  out 
in  broad  avenues  and  wide  streets  centering  on  the  three 

[20] 


THE  MILITARY  SITUATION 

positions  chosen,  that  concentration  for  defense  at  any 
one  of  the  three  is  made  easy.  The  field  battery  can 
move  rapidly  toward  any  outpost  where  heavy  firing  shall 
indie-ate  that  the  attack  is  there  serious,  and  with  the  aid 
of  this  battery  the  retreat  from  that  point  can  be  made 
slowly  enough  to  give  time  for  concentration  on  that  line 
of  the  outlying  companies  in  positions  not  threatened. 
In  case  a  sharp  resistance  outside  the  city  may  fail  to 
prevent  an  advance  of  the  enemy,  we  can  occupy  the 
centers  until  the  North  shall  have  time  to  come  to  our 
relief.  All  our  information  tends  to  show  that  the  force 
of  the  enemy  which  can  immediately  act  against  the 
Capital  does  not  exceed  five  thousand  organized  men;  and 
before  that  number  can  be  largely  increased  our  relief 
will  come.  These  District  of  Columbia  volunteers  would 
be  fighting  in  defense  of  their  homes  and  would  fight 
well." 

He  then  said : 

"Your  plan  is  good.  Your  pickets  will  have  to  fight 
well,  and  must  try  to  not  fall  back  more  than  fifteen  paces 
at  a  time  and  to  fire  at  least  once  at  each  halt.  This 
requires  good  men  and  good,  devoted  officers.  These  sol- 
diers of  the  District  will  probably  fight  quite  as  well  in 
defense  of  their  homes  as  will  the  enemy  in  attacking 
them.  But  you  have  too  many  centers.  You  cannot 
hold  three.  You  will  need  all  your  force  concentrated 
to  hold  one  position  against  an  energetic  force  equal  to 
or  superior  in  numbers  to  all  you  have.  The  first  center 
to  be  abandoned  must  be  the  Capitol.  It  is  a  fireproof 
building.  There  is  little  in  it  that  is  combustible  except- 
ing the  libraries  of  the  Congress  and  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  I  do  not  believe  that  American  soldiers,  even  in  rebel- 

[21] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

lion,  are  yet  capable  of  burning  or  destroying  public 
libraries  and  the  archives  of  courts  of  justice. 

"The  second  center  to  be  abandoned  will  be  the  City 
Hall  hill. 

"Finally,  if  necessary,  all  else  must  be  abandoned,  to 
occupy,  strongly  and  effectively,  the  Executive  Square, 
with  the  idea  of  finally  holding  only  the  Treasury  build- 
ing, and,  perhaps  the  State  Department  building,  prop- 
erly connected.  The  seals  of  the  several  departments  of 
the  Government  must  be  deposited  in  the  vaults  of  the 
Treasury.  They  must  not  be  captured  and  used  to  deceive 
and  create  uncertainty  among  public  servants  distant 
from  the  Capital." 

Then,  speaking  more  impressively,  he  said :  "Should 
it  come  to  the  defense  of  the  Treasury  building  as  a 
citadel,  then  the  President  and  all  the  members  of  his 
cabinet  must  take  up  their  quarters  with  us  in  that  build- 
ing! They  shall  not  be  permitted  to  desert  the  Capital !" 

Colonel  Stone's  confidence  in  the  loyal  soldiers  of  the 
Northern  States  was  soon  justified,  for  they  came  quickly. 

To  the  honor  of  the  great  Commonwealth  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, it  is  a  matter  of  history  that  several  hundred 
unarmed  militia  from  that  State  were  the  first  to  reach 
Washington.  Massachusetts  came  next,  and  it  is  her 
proud  record  that  her  Sixth  regiment  of  state  militia 
arrived  in  Washington  on  April  19,  after  hard  fighting 
in  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  and  was  quartered  in  the 
Capitol. 

Finally,  on  April  25,  the  famous  Seventh  regiment  of 
New  York  reached  the  Capital  and  the  blockade  was 
broken.  Concerning  this  regiment  it  may  be  added  that 
on  April  15,  the  President's  call  for  75.000  men  had  been 
issued  and  two  days  later  this  "unrivalled  body  of  citizen- 

[22] 


THE  MILITARY  SITUATION 

soldiery"  marched  down  Broadway  on  their  way  to 
Washington.  On  arriving  at  Philadelphia  they  learned 
of  the  attempt  to  prevent  the  passage  of  the  Sixth  Massa- 
chusetts through  the  City  of  Baltimore  and  accordingly 
chartered  a  steamer  for  Annapolis,  from  where  they 
reconstructed  the  railroad  track  to  Annapolis  Junction 
and  soon  reached  Washington,  where  the  companies  were 
quickly  formed  and  the  column  marched  "in  correct 
Seventh  regiment  style  up  Pennsylvania  Avenue  to  the 
President's  Mansion,  where  they  gave  a  inarching  salute 
to  the  President." 

It  must  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  the  muster  in 
of  the  District  volunteers  was  begun  on  April  10,  in  the 
enclosed  space  on  the  north  side  of  the  War  Office,  and 
thus  it  was  that  the  first  citizen  troops  called  into  the 
service  of  the  United  States  to  oppo.se  secession  were  those 
of  the  District  of  Columbia. 

From  day  to  day  regiments  of  volunteers  came  from 
the  North  and  from  the  Northwest  to  Washington,  until 
it  was  soon  strong  enough  to  resist  the  attack  of  any 
force  its  enemies  could  send  against  it. 

Captain  Thomas  M.  Woodruff,  who  was  in  Washing- 
ton at  that  time,  has  described  some  of  these  regiments  as 
follows : 

I  remember  the  First  Rhode  Island,  under  command  of 
General  Burnside,  which  was  quartered  at  the  Patent 
Office,  and  we  soon  found  that  it  was  largely  composed  of 
college  students,  who  often  came  around  to  our  house  and 
sang  their  college  songs,  and  several  times  brought  their 
regimental  band  to  serenade  the  young  ladies  in  the 
neighborhood.  The  Second  Rhode  Island,  with  a  light 
battery  attached,  Foon  afterwards  came,  and  Governor 
Sprague  accompanied  the?e  for  the  purpose  of  command- 
ing all  the  troops  from  his  State.  These  regiments  were 

[23] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

well  drilled,  and  had  dress  parades  at  the  Patent  Office. 
They  wore  the  service  blue,  and  two  companies  of  the 
First  regiment  were  armed  with  a  breech-loading  carbine. 
Later  they  were  moved  out  to  the  northern  limits  of 
the  city  and  encamped  in  a  beautiful  grove  called  Gale's 
Woods,  where  their  tents  were  put  up  on  frames  with 
wooden  sides  and  doors.  The  Seventh  New  York  (which 
was  originally  quartered  at  the  Capitol)  also  had  a  beau- 
tiful camp  out  north  of  the  city  at  the  old  Stone  estate 
on  Columbia  Heights,  the  mansion  of  which  is  now 


Barricade  in   the  Treasury  Building. 

known  as  the  home  of  the  late  illustrious  General  John 
A.  Logan,  and  still  occupied  by  his  widow.  The  Seventy- 
first  New  York  Light  Infantry  was  likewise  a  fine  regi- 
ment, and  uniformed  much  in  the  same  style  as  the 
Seventh,  in  cadet  gray.  It  is  said  that  these  two  regi- 
ments and  the  First  Rhode  Island  came  back  after  their 
thirty  'days'  service  in  great  part  as  officers  of  other 

[24] 


THE  MILITARY  SITUATION 

organization.  The  Twelfth  New  York,  under  General 
Butterfield,  arrived  without  any  uniforms  and  looked 
very  shabby  with  their  equipments  buckled  over  their 
varicolored  citizens'  clothes.  They  were  put  into  camp 
in  the  central  part  of  the  city  at  Franklin  Park.  They 
shortly  obtained  the  service  uniform,  and  in  a  few  weeks 
were  called  Butterficld's  Regulars;  their  manual  of  arms 
was  faultless,  and  they  developed  into  one  of  the  finest 
regiments  in  the  city.  Another  handsome  regiment  was 
Ellsworth's  Fire  Zouazes  (the  Eleventh  New  York). 
They  were  quartered  in  the  Capitol;  they  marched  and 
drilled  well,  but  were  restless  and  somewhat  unruly.  On 
the  occasion  of  a  fire  in  the  Owen  House,  next  to  Wil- 
lard's  Hotel,  they  broke  out  and  ran  pellmell  to  the  fire, 
where  they  worked  like  salamanders,  running  in  and  out 
of  the  flames,  bringing  out  all  kinds  of  furniture  and 
utensils.  There  were  three  regiments  whose  uniforms 
were  |>:'  r:  irularly  handsome  and  gay — the  Thirty-ninth. 
Sixty-ninth,  and  Seventy-ninth  Xew  York.  The  nrst  was 
the  (Jj'ribaldi  (iiiards.  uniformed  as  is  the  Italian  light 
infantry  or  Bersagliari  of  the  present  time — a  very  dark 
greenish  blue  e!:>th.  with  a  flat-brimmed  round-top  hat  set 
oil  with  cook's  feather-.  The  Sixty-ninth  was  an  Irish 
regiment,  commanded  by  the  gallant  Corcoran,  who  was 
wounded  at  Bull  Run.  They  have  kept  up  their  organiza- 
tion and  wear  the  same  uniform  as  then  worn — coats  rather 
conspicuously  set  off  with  crimson  and  green;  they  carry  a 
green  flag  with  the  harp  of  Erin  embroidered  thereon. 
Tho  Seventy-ninth  was  the  Highland  regiment,  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Cameron,  a  brother  of  Simon  Cam- 
eron, then  Secretary  of  War,  who  was  killed  at  Bull  Run. 
They  were  very  showy  in  their  kilts,  and  were  fairly 
drilled.  I  remember  some  regiments  from  Wisconsin  and 
from  Minnesota,  the  gallant  historic  First,  two  from  Con- 
necticut, and  some  from  other  New  England  States,  that 
came  about  this  time,  fully  armed  and  splendidly 
equipped,  some  of  the  latter  bringing  full  regimental 
wagon  trains.  Many  of  these  regiments  wore  a  most 
serviceable  gray  uniform,  which,  however,  was  subse- 


[25] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

quently  put  aside  for  the  national  blue.  These  organiza- 
tions were  composed  of  fine  material — handsome,  stal- 
wart, intelligent  men,  who  could  turn  their  minds  and 
hands  to  any  occupation,  and  who  a  few  weeks  afterwards 
surrounded  the  city  with  a  complete  cordon  of  field 
fortifications. 

It  was  these  men,  organized  by  Colonel  Stone,  under 
General  Scott,  who  formed  the  army  that  General 
McDowell  led  to  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  and  it  is  to 
be  regretted  that  the  story  of  that  battle,  forced  upon  the 
country  by  the  clamor  of  those  who  stayed  at  home, 
cannot  be  included  in  this  chapter. 

It  was  also  these  same  volunteer  soldiers  who  became 
the  nucleus  of  the  famous  Army  of  the  Potomac,  whose 
splendid  deeds  during  the  long  campaigns  that  were  then 
yet  to  come  form  the  brightest  page  on  the  history  of  the 
greatest  war  of  modern  times.  The  bravery  and  heroism 
of  these  soldiers  finds  a  fitting  culmination  in  the  "Grand 
Review,"  described  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 


[26] 


The  Defenses  of  Washington 

BY  JOHN  GROSS  BARNARD 
Major  General  l>y  ~brevet  and  Colonel,  Corps  of  Engineers 

HEX,  after  the  disaster  of  Bull 
Run,  it  became  apparent  that 
the  war  was  to  be  a  struggle  of 
long  duration,  the  necessity  of 
the  thorough  fortifying  of 
Washington  ceased  to  be  doubt- 
ful. The  situation  was  indeed 
such  as  to  admit  of  no  elaborate 
plans,  scarcely  of  the  adequate 
study  of  the  ground  necessary 
to  a  judicious  location  of  a  line 
so  extensive.  The  -first  exigency 

was  to  fortify  the  position  on  the  heights  of  Arlington, 
the  most  obvious  manner  of  doing  which  was  to  connect 
Forts  Corcoran  and  Albany  by  intermediate  works, 
within  musketry  or  canister  range  of  each  other,  and 
thus  form,  with  Fort  Runyon,  a  chain  or  a  "couronne," 
covering  at  the  same  time  the  bridges  and  the  heights. 
The  ground,  furrowed  by  numerous  ravines,  proved  suf- 
ficiently favorable,  and  the  large  lunettes,  with  stockaded 
gorges,  Forts  Craig,  Tillinghast,  Cass,  Woodbury,  and 
De  Kalb  (subsequently  called  Fort  Strong),  were  speedily 
laid  out  and  begun.  The  location  of  these  works,  as  also 


*This  article  is  taken  from  General  Barnard's  Report  on  the 
Defenses  of  Washington,  being  No.  20  of  the  Professional  Papers 
of  the  Corps  of  Engineers,  U.  S.  Army,  Washington,  1871. 


[27] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

their  design  and  construction,  were  principally  due  to 
Majors  Woodbury  and  Alexander.  Fort  Corcoran  being 
on  a  "step"  or  small  plateau  of  inferior  level  to  that  of 
the  heights,  is  was  necessary  to  continue  the  line,  by  Fort 
De  Kalb  toward  the  river,  along  the  higher  level.  As 
it  requires  many  days  to  obtain,  in  regularly-profiled  field 
forts,  so  much  cover  as  will  make  them  partially  defensi- 
ble, a  temporary  expedient  for  improvising  defense  was 
found  in  making  a  wide  "slashing"  through  the  forest  in 
advance  of  the  line  of  these  intended  works,  and  a  mar- 
ginal slashing  around  its  edge.  Half-sunk  batteries  for 
field-guns  were  prepared  between  the  sites  of  Forts  De 
Kalb  and  Woodbury  and  near  that  of  Fort  Craig.* 
From  the  heights  north  of  the  Potomac,  between  George- 
town and  the  "distributing  reservoir,"  which  overlooked 
and  commanded  the  ground  in  advance  of  the  defensive 
line,  a  formidable  flanking  fire  was  obtained  by  the  erec- 
tion of  "Battery  Cameron"  for  tAvo  rifled  42-pounders. 

The  wooded  ridge  which  lies  north  of  and  parallel  to 
the  lower  course  of  Four-Mile  Run,  offered  a  favorable 
position  from  which  the  city,  the  Long  Bridge,  and  the 
plateau  in  advance  of  it  could  be  overlooked  and  can- 
nonaded, and  from  which  it  was  important  to  exclude  the 
enemy  so  long  as  our  defensive  line  was  thus  limited. 
Access  to  it  was  made  difficult  by  felling  the  forest  with 
•which  it  was  covered  (about  200  acres)  and  the  construc- 
tion upon  it  of  the  large  lunette  (Fort  Scott)  was  begun 
as  soon  as  the  site  could  be  fixed.  The  subsequent  exten- 
sion of  the  line  to  embrace  Alexandria  threw  this  work 
and  Fort  Albany  into  the  rear,  but  it  retained,  neverthe- 

*It  is  interesting  here  to  remark  that,  with  the  experience  our 
troops  and  engineers  acquired  two  or  three  years  later,  this  whole 
position  would  in  24  hours  have  been  formidably  intrenched  by  a 
continuous  line  of  (so-called)  rifle-pits,  strengthened  by  "slash- 
ings," etc.  But  we  had  not  then  the  men  who  could  be  trusted  to 
hold  such  line. 

[28] 


THE  DEFENSES 

less,  a  considerable  importance,  since,  taken  in  connection 
with  Forts  Richardson,  Craig,  and  others,  it  completed  a 
defensive  line  for  Washington  independent  of  the  exten- 
sion to  Alexandria. 

While  these  operations  were  going  on  General  Richard- 
son, whose  division  held  position  along  the  Columbia 
Turnpike,  had  occupied  and  pointed  out  the  importance 
of  the  eminence  in  advance  of  Fort  Albany  commanding 
the  plateau  along  which  that  road  passes  and  flanking  the 
Arlington  lines.  The  small  inclosed  polygonal  work, 
"Fort  Richardson,"  was  begun  thereon  about  September 
1,  1861. 

The  defense  of  Alexandria  and  its  connection  with  that 
of  Washington  was  a  subject  of  anxious  study.  The 
exigency  demanding  immediate  measures,  the  first  idea 
naturally  was,  availing  ourselves  of  Fort  Ellsworth  as 
one  point  of  the  defensive  system,  to  connect  it  with  Fort 
Scott  by  intermediate  works  on  Mount  Ida  and  adjacent 
heights.  A  protracted  study  of  the  topography  for  sev- 
eral miles  in  advance  showed  that  such  a  line  would  be 
indefensible.  Not  only  would  the  works  themselves  be 
commanded  by  heights  in  advance,  but  the  troops  which 
should  support  them  would  be  restricted  to  a  narrow 
space,  in  which  they  would  be  overlooked  and  harassed 
by  the  enemy's  distant  fire.  The  occupation,  therefore,  of 
the  heights  a  mile  in  advance  of  Fort  Ellsworth,  upon 
which  the  Theological  Seminary  is  situated,  seemed  abso- 
lutely necessary,  and  examination  showed  their  topogra- 
phy to  be  favorable  to  a  defensive  line,  as  points  of  which 
the  sites  of  Forts  Worth  and  Ward  were  selected  and  the 
work  begun  about  the  first  of  September,  and  the  line 
thence  continued  simultaneously  by  Fort  Reynolds  to 
connect  with  Forts  Richardson  and  Craig.  Somewhat 
later  Fort  Barnard,  intermediate  between  Reynolds  and 

[29] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

Richardson,  and  partially  filling  the  gap,  was  begun.  It 
commanded  the  valley  of  Four-Mile  Run  and  flanked  a 
deep  tributary  ravine  lying  across  the  approaches  to  Forts 
Reynolds  and  Ward. 

The  heights  south  of  Hunting  Creek,  overlooking  Alex- 
andria and  more  elevated  than  Fort  Ellsworth,  were  for 
some  time  a  subject  of  anxiety.  The  fortification  of  the 
Seminary  Heights,  which  commanded  them,  diminished 
materially  the  danger  of  their  temporary  seizure  by  the 
enemy.  As  soon,  however  (about  the  middle  of  Septem- 
ber), as  a  sufficient  force  could  be  detached  to  occupy  the 
position  and  protect  the  construction,  the  large  fort, 
called  Lyon,  was  begun,  Major  (Brevet  Major  General) 
Xewton,  then  attached  as  an  engineer  officer  to  the  staff 
of  General  Franklin,  selecting  the  site  and  planning  the 
work.  This  extensive  field-work  occupied  a  month  or  two 
in  construction,  during  which  time  the  position  was  made 
somewhat  more  defensible  by  rifle-trenches  across  the 
plateau  in  advance. 

While  strengthening  as  rapidly  as  possible  our  most 
assailable  and,  at  first,  exceedingly  weak  position  on  the 
south  shore  of  the  Potomac,  it  was,  though  perhaps  less 
urgent,  still  necessary  to  provide  some  auxiliary  defenses 
to  the  city  itself  against  approaches  along  the  northern 
shores.  In  the  summer  and  autumn  the  Potomac  is  easily 
fordable  at  points  not  distant  from  Washington.  The 
army  which  had  been  victorious  at  Manassas,  and  whose 
advance  posts  were  soon  visible  at  Munson's  Hill,  might, 
it  wp.s  thought,  improve  the  critical  period  which  fol- 
lowed, ere  our  rapidly-arriving  volunteer  regiments  could 
be  organized  into  a  formidable  force,  and  while  that 
which  had  fought  that  battle,  disorganized  by  defeat,  was 
dwindling  away  by  expiration  of  three  months'  term  of 
service,  to  cross  the  river  and  assail  us,  where  the  results 

[30] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

of  success,  even  if  involving  greater  risks,  would  have 
been  the  most  decisive. 

To  meet  the  emergency,  works  were  necessarily  thrown 
up  without  that  deliberate  study  of  the  topography  in 
which  the  establishment  of  such  defensive  line  should,  if 
practicable,  be  based.  The  first  directions  given  to  our 
labors  were  to  secure  the  roads,  not  merely  as  the  beaten 
highways  of  travel  from  the  country  to  the  city,  but  as, 
in  general,  occupying  the  best  ground  for  an  enemy's 
approach.  Thus  the  site  of  Fort  Pennsylvania  (subse- 
quently called  Fort  Reno)  was  early  in  August  selected 
on  the  heights  of  Tennallytown,  commanding  the  three 
roads  already  described,  which  unite  at  that  place.  This 
position,  strongly  held  and  aided  by  Fort  Gaines  soon 
after  located  and  begun,  made  it  comparatively  easy  to 
exclude  hostile  approach  by  the  sector  of  country 
between  the  Potomac  and  Rock  Creek.  Fort  Stevens, 
commanding  the  Seventh  Street  road,  and,  in  connection 
with  it,  Forts  Totten  and  Slocum,  were  almost  simultan- 
eously begun,  as  also  Fort  Lincoln,  commanding  the 
Baltimore  Turnpike  and  Baltimore  Railroad.  As  speedily 
as  possible  thereafter  the  intervening  works,  Forts  De 
Russy,  Bunker  Hill,  Saratoga,  Slemmer,  and  Thayer, 
were  interpolated. 

The  fixing  of  the  left  of  the  line  on  the  Potomac  was 
less  obvious.  The  topography  indicated  its  continuance 
from  Tennallytown  along  the  brow  of  the  heights  over- 
looking the  valley  of  Powder-Mill  Run,  at  a  point  of 
which,  indeed,  Fort  Gaines  was  actually  being  built. 
This  would  have  brought  the  left  near  and  behind  the 
Chain  Bridge.  It  was  deemed  indispensable  not  only  that 
this  bridge  should  be  within  our  line,  but  so  far  within 
as  to  be  protected  from  artillery  fire  from  hostile  batteries. 
It  was  also  imperative  to  protect  the  "receiving  reservoir" 

[32] 


THE  DEFENSES 

of  the  Washington  Aqueduct,  upon  which  the  city 
depended  for  most  of  its  supply  of  water.  Hence  the 
final  establishment  of  the  left  on  the  heights,  close  to 
the  river,  beyond  the  reservoir  and  valley  of  Powder-Mill 
Branch.  It  was  deemed  necessary  to  give  the  position, 
thus  isolated,  considerable  strength,  and  the  site  being 
unfavorable  to  the  rapid  creation  of  a  strong  position  by 
a  single  large  work,  three  smaller  ones  were  erected, 
which,  a  year  later,  were  united  into  one,  and  called  Fort 
Stunner. 

The  first  idea  as  to  defensive  works  bej'ond  the  Ana- 
cost  ia  were  to  fortify  the  debouches  from  the  bridges 
and  the  heights  overlooking  the  Navy  Yard.  With  that 
object  Fort  Stahton  was  begun  early  in  September.  A 
further  examination  of  the  remarkable  ridge  between  the 
Anacostia  and  Oxen  Run  showed  clearly  that,  to  protect 
the  Navy  Yard  and  Arsenal  from  cannonade,  is  was 
necessary  to  occupy  an  extent  of  six  miles  from  Fort 
Greble  to  Fort  Meigs.  Forts  Greble  and  Carroll  were 
begun  in  the  latter  part  of  September  and  Fort  Mahan 
near  Bennings'  Bridge,  about  the  same  time.  The  latter 
work  commanded  the  road  leading  along  the  margin  of 
Anacostia  from  Bladensburg  and  served  as  an  advanced 
tete-de-pont  to  the  bridge  just  named.  Fort  Mcigs,  occu- 
pying the  extreme  point  of  the  ridge  from  which  artillery 
tire  might  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  Capitol  or  Xavy 
Yard,  was  begun  somewhat  later  in  the  season,  as  were 
also  Forts  Dupont,  Davis,  Baker,  Wagner,  Ricketts,  and 
Snyder.  These  were  all  well  advanced  to  completion 
before  the  close  of  the  year.  At  an  early  date,  defensive 
measures  had  been  taken  at  the  Chain  Bridge,  consisting 
of  a  barricade  immediately  over  the  first  pier  from  the 
Virginia  side,  with  a  movable  staircase,  by  which  the 
defenders  could  retreat  over  the  fiat  below,  leaving  the 

3  [33] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    AVAR    TIME 

bridge  open  to  the  fire  of  two  mountain  howitzers,  placed 
immediately  at  its  Maryland  end,  of  a  battery  on  the 
bluff  above  ("Martin  Scott")  of  one  8-inch  sea-coast 
howitzer  and  two  35-pounders.  As  even  this  last  battery 
was  commanded  by  heights  on  the  Virginia  side,  it  was 
deemed  proper  to  erect  another  called  Vermont  at  a 
higher  point,  which  should  command  the  Virginia 
heights,  and  at  the  same  time  sweep  the  approaches  of 
the  enemy  along  the  Maryland  shore  of  the  Potomac. 

But  the  occupation  of  the  Virginia  shore  at  the  Chain 
Bridge  was  essential  to  the  future  operations  of  our  army 
in  Virginia,  to  the  prestige  of  our  arms,  and  incidentally 
important  to  the  defense  of  Washington.  It  was  only 
delayed  until  our  force  was  sufficient  to  authorize  its 
accomplishment.  General  W.  F.  Smith's  Division  crossed 
the  bridge  on  the  night  of  September  24,  and  Forts 
Ethan  Allen  and  Marcy  were  immediately  bsgim  and 
speedily  finished. 

Comprised  in  the  foregoing  categories  there  are  twenty- 
three  forts  south  of  the  Potomac,  fourteen  and  three 
batteries  between  the  Potomac  and  Anacostia  and  eleven 
forts  beyond  the  Anacostia,  making  forty-eight  forts  in 
all.  These  works  varied  in  size,  from  Forts  Runyon, 
Lyon,  and  Marcy,  of  which  the  perimeters  were  1,500, 
939.  and  736  yards,  to  Forts  Bennett,  Haggerty,  and  Sar- 
atoga, with  perimeters  of  146,  128,  and  154  yards.  The 
greater  portion  of  them  were  enclosed  works  of  earth, 
though  many,  as  Forts  Craig,  Tillinghast,  Scott,  south 
of  the  Potomac,  and  Forts  Saratoga  and  Gaines  on  the 
north,  were  lunettes,  with  stockaded  gorges.  The  arma- 
ment was  mainly  made  up  of  24  and  32-pounders,  on  sea 
coast  carriages,  with  a  limited  proportion  of  24-pounder 
siege  guns,  rifled  Parrott  guns,  and  guns  on  field  car- 
riages of  light  caliber.  Magazines  were  provided  for 

[34] 


THE  DEFENSES 

100  rounds  of  ammunition,  and  some  few  of  the  more 
important  works  (Forts  Lyon,  Worth,  and  Ward)  had  a 
considerable  extent  of  bomb-proof  cover,  in  which  about 
one-third  of  the  garrisons  might  comfortably  sleep  and 
nearly  all  take  temporary  shelter. 

Such  were  the  defenses  of  Washington  at  the  b?ginning 
of  the  year  18C2.  But  public  opinion  -was  at  this  period 
undergoing  another  fluctuation.  The  fortifications, 
lightly  regarded  before  the  Manassas  campaign,  were 
after  that  disaster  eagerly  demanded  and  their  progress- 
ive advancement  toward  defensibility  watched  with 
anxiety.  When,  under  General  McClellan's  high  organ- 
izing abilities,  a  large,  perfectly-appointed,  and  tolerably 
well-disciplined  army  grew  into  existence,  and  wrhen  the 
brilliant  success  of  Dupont  at  Port  Royal,  and  of  Thomas 
and  Grant  in  the  West,  had  encouraged  the  belief  that  a 
"sharp  and  decisive*'  campaign  would  terminate  the  war. 
they  once  more  fell  into  disrepute.  The  act  of  Congress 
appropriating  money  for  completing  the  defenses  of 
Washington*  provided  that  no  part  of  the  sum  should  bo 
applied  to  any  work  "hereafter  to  be  commenced."  From 
the  description  which  has-  been  given,  it  will  be  easily 
recognized  that,  whatever  assistance  the  works  then 
existirg  might  be  able  to  afford  to  an  army  defending 
Washington,  they  were  far  from  constituting,  especially 
on  the  north  of  the  Potomac,  a  thoroughly-fortified  line. 
Xor  could  they,  so  loose  were  their  connections,  effectually 


*Be  it  enacted  bv  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of 
the  United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  That  the  sum 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  be,  and  the  same  is 
hereby,  appropriated  out  of  any  money  in  the  Treasury  not  other- 
wise appropriated,  for  completing  the  defenses  of  Washington: 
Provided.  That  all  arrearages  of  debts  incurred  for  the  objects  of 
this  act  shall  be  first  paid  out  of  this  sum:  And  provided  further. 
That  no  part  of  the  sum  hereby  appropriated  shall  be  expended  in 
any  work  hereafter  to  be  commenced. 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

repel  raids.  Detached  earthworks,  with  wide  intervals 
and  no  connecting  lines  or  obstacles,  could  only  consti- 
tute "points  d?  appui"  for  an  army  giving  battle  to  an 
invader — not  a  fortified  place  which  a  garrison  could 
defend  against  greatly  superior  force.  Such  as  they  were, 
however,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  their  important  influ- 
ence in  protecting  Washington,  and  in  saving  us  from 
further  calamities,  after  the  failure  of  General  McClel- 
lan's  campaign  against  Richmond,  and  the  retreat  of 
General  Pope  upon  Washington. 

The  peril  in  which  the  Capital  was  placed  in  the 
months  of  August  and  September,  1862,  by  the  events  just 
alluded  to,  revealed  the  inadequacy  of  existing  defenses 
and  demonstrated  the  necessity  of  further  development. 
The  writer,  who  at  this  period  had  been  assigned  to  the 
command  of  the  place,  and  with  it  had  resumed  the 
engineering  charge,  was,  under  such  circumstances,  far 
more  vividly  impressed  with  the  deficiencies  and  defects 
of  the  existing  defenses  than  he  could  be  when  a  few 
months  earlier  he  had  relinquished  the  charge  of  a  work 
which  had  been  regarded  by  Congress  as  already  carried 
further  than  necessary.  Notwithstanding  the  recent  leg- 
islation, the  most  energetic  means  were  taken  to  increase 
the  strength  of  the  line,  whether  by  the  construction  of 
new  works  or  by  the  enlargement  and  improvement  of 
old  ones.  Many  of  the  latter,  occupying  sites  of  which  the 
commanding  character  had  prompted  an  early  and 
hastily-executed  occupation,  were  entirely  too  small. 
Such  were  Fort  Stevens,  Fort  Slocum,  Fort  Ward.  At 
other  localities  the  proper  occupation  of  the  site  required 
more  or  less  extensive  auxiliary  constructions.  Such 
were  the  sites  of  Forts  Lyon,  Sumner,  Reno,  Lincoln, 
Meigs,  and  others.  Numerous  gaps  existed  requiring  the 
interpolation  of  new  works.  Ravines  or  depressions  of 

[36] 


THE  DEFENSES 

surface,  unseen  from  the  works,  intersected  the  line  at 
various  points  or  lay  along  its  front,  to  control  which 
numerous  auxiliary  batteries  were  necessary.  Finally  it 
was  evident  that,  even  with  all  such  improvements,  the 
defenses  would  yet  remain  only  a  system  of  "point  d' 
appui"  to  a  line  of  battle,  unless  they  were  connected  by 
works  which  would  cover  the  troops  occupying  the  inter- 
mediate ground  and  offer  some  obstacle  to  the  passage  of 
the  enemy.  Besides  the  foregoing  demands  for  new  con- 
struction or  further  development,  there  was  a  necessity 
for  repairing  and  even  rebuilding  much  of  the  interior 
structure  of  the  original  works,  and  for  providing  nearly 
all  of  them  with  so  much  bomb-proof  shelter  as  would 
protect  their  garrisons  against  a  concentrated  fire  of 
artillery.  Finally,  a  great  change  in  the  character  and 
arrangement  of  the  armament  was  urgently  needed.  The 
demand  for  field-guns  for  our  armies  had  stripped  our 
arsenals  of  them  and  compelled  the  substitution  in  these 
forts  of  large  numbers  of  24  and  32-pounders  on  barbette 
carriages.  Such  guns  made  a  very  improper  armament. 
Not  only  were  they  too  heavy  and  unmanageable,  but  so 
exposed  that  at  close  quarters  they  would  be  nearly 
unserviceable.  To  replace  most  of  these  as  rapidly  as 
possible  by  light  guns  on  field  carriages  placed  in 
embrasure,  was  deemed  imperative,  in  doing  which  an- 
other expedient  to  enhance  the  efficiency  of  the  artillery 
fire  suggested  itself.  Along  the  extended  belt  of  country 
on  which  the  line  was  located  were  numerous  points,  either 
in  the  works  themselves  or  within  the  lines,  which  over- 
looked the  external  approaches,  and  from  which  a  flank- 
ing fire  from  heavy  rifled  guns  to  an  extent  of  three  or 
four  miles  could  be  obtained.  Battery  Cameron,  near 
Georgetown,  had  already  been  built  to  answer  such  a  pur- 
pose in  relation  to  the  Arlington  lines.  It  was  now  pro- 

[37] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

posed  to  mount  rifled  100-pounders  at  intervals  of  two  or 
three  miles  for  the  same  object.  An  enemy  attacking  or 
approaching  any  part  of  the  lines  would  not  only  have 
to  contend  with  the  artillery  before  him  (which  he  might, 
indeed,  hope  to  silence),  but  would  be  taken  in  flank 
by  a  distant  fire  of  heavy  projectiles,  with  which  his  own 
artillery  could  not  contend. 

Another  object,  quite  independent  of  the  original  pur- 
poses of  the  defenses,  suggested  itself  at  this  period  as 
important,  namely,  the  better  defense  of  the  river  against 
naval  approach,  by  the  construction  of  water  batteries. 

The  above-projected  developments  would,  if  carried 
out,  involve  an  amount  of  labor  and  expenditure  far 
exceeding  what  had  originally  been  bestowed  upon  the 
works  and  they  would  necessarily  require  considerable 
time.  With  the  sanction  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  the 
late  E.  M.  Stanton,  who  gave  the  most  cordial  and 
unqualified  support  to  the  efforts  of  the  engineers,  every- 
thing that  it  was  practicable  to  undertake  was  begun  at 
once,  the  Secretary  assuming  the  responsibility  of  apply- 
ing thereto  moneys  available  for  general  purposes  of  the 
kind.  It  was  obvious,  however,  that  the  expenditure 
would  continue  indefinitely  and  ultimately  amount  to  a 
very  large  sum.  In  face  of  the  recent  formal  prohibition 
of  Congress  to  begin  new  works,  it  seemed  desirable,  in 
order  to  justify  the  Secretary  in  applying  means  at  his 
command,  or  in  calling  upon  Congress  for  further  appro- 
priations, that  some  other  sanction  than  the  irresponsible 
will  of  the  chief  engineer  of  the  defenses  should  be 
obtained,  not  only  for  the  course  taken,  but  also  for  the 
judiciousness  of  the  plans  proposed  for  its  execution.  A 
commission  consisting  of  Brevet  Brigadier  General  J.  G. 
Totten,  Chief  Engineer,  United  States  Army;  Brigadier 
General  M.  C.  Meigs,  Quartermaster  General,  United 

[38] 


THE  DEFENSES 

States  Army,  formerly  of  the  United  States  Engineers; 
Brigadier  General  W.  F.  Barry,  chief  of  artillery;  Brig- 
adier General  J.  G.  Barnard,  Grief  Engineer  Defenses 
of  Washington ;  Brigadier  General  G.  W.  Cullum,  United 
States  Engineers,  chief  of  staff  to  the  General-in-Chief, 
was  appointed  by  the  Secretary  of  War  October  25,  18G2, 
uto  examine  and  report  upon  a  plan  of  the  present  forts 
and  sufficiency  of  the  present  system  of  defenses  for  the 
city."  The  commission  devoted  two  months  to  the  study 
and  personal  examination  of  the  system.  As  no  more 
authoritative  exposition  can  be  given,  I  shall  quote  from 
their  report  at  some  length : 

The  system  of  works  constituting  what  are  called  the 
defenses  of  Washington  may  be  divided  into  four 
groups: 

First.  Those  south  of  the  Potomac,  commencing  with 
Fort  Lyon  below  Alexandria,  and  terminating  with  Fort 
De  Kalb  opposite  Georgetown. 

Second.    Those  of  the  Chain  Bridge. 

Third.  Those  north  of  the  Potomac,  between  that  river 
and  the  Anacostia,  commencing  with  Fort  Sumner  and 
terminating  with  Fort  Lincoln. 

Fourth.  Those  south  of  the  Eastern  Branch,  com- 
mencing with  Fort  Mahan,  and  terminating  with  Fort 
Greble,  nearly  opposite  Alexandria. 

The  perimeter  thus  occupied,  not  counting  the  interval 
from  Fort  Greble  to  Fort  Lyon,  is  about  33  miles,  or, 
including  that,  37  miles. 

In  the  first  group  are  23  field  forts.  In  the  second 
group  two  forts  (Ethan  Allen  and  Marcy)  and  three 
batteries  for  field  guns.  In  the  third  are  18  forts,  4  bat- 
teries, permanently  armed  with  heavy  guns,  besides  about 
14  batteries  for  field  guns,  some  of  which  are  of  heavy 
profile,  with  stockaded  gorges  and  magazines.  In  the 
fourth  group  are  eleven  forts,  besides  the  armed  battery 
connected  with  Fort  Carroll.  There  are  therefore  in  the 
whole  system  as  it  now  exists  (December,  1862,)  53  forts 
and  22  batteries. 

[39] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

The  total  armament  actually  mounted  in  the  different 
works,  at  the  date  of  this  report,  is  C43  guns  and  75 
mortars. 

The  total  infantry  garrisons  required  for  their  defense, 
computed  at  2  men  per  yard  of  front  perimeter,  and  1 
man  per  yard  of  rear  perimeter,  is  about  25,000. 

The  total  number  of  artillerymen  required  (to  furnish 
three  reliefs  for  each  gun)  is  about  9,000.  It  is  seldom 
necessary  to  keep  the  infantry  supports  attached  to  the 
works. 

The  artillerymen,  whose  training  requires  much  time, 
having  learned  the  disposition  of  the  armament,  and  com- 
puted the  distances  of  the  ground  over  which  attacks 
may  be  looked  for,  and  the  ranges  and  service  of  their 
guns,  should  not  be  changed;  they  should  remain  perma- 
nently in  the  forts. 

The  25,000  infantry  should  be  encamped  in  such  posi- 
tions as  may  be  most  convenient  to  enable  them,  in  case 
of  alarm,  to  garrison  the  several  works;  and  a  force  of 
3,000  cavalry  should  be  available  for  outpost  duty,  to 
give  notice  of  the  approach  of  an  enemy. 

Whenever  an  enemy  is  within  striking  distance  of  the 
Capital,  able  by  a  rapid  march  to  attempt  a  coup-de- 
main,  which  might  result  in  the  temporary  occupation  of 
the  city,  the  dispersion  of  the  Government,  and  the 
destruction  of  the  archives,  all  of  which  could  be  accom- 
plished by  a  single  day's  possession,  a  covering  army  of 
not  less  than  25,000  men  should  be  held  in  position,  ready 
to  march  to  meet  the  attacking  column. 

Against  more  serious  attacks  from  the  main  body  of 
the  enemy,  the  Capital  must  depend  upon  the  concentra- 
tion of  its  entire  armies  in  Virginia  or  Maryland.  They 
should  precede  or  follow  any  movement  of  the  enemy 
seriously  threatening  the  Capital. 

The  various  operations  recommended  by  the  commis- 
sion, sanctioned  by  the  Secretary  of  War,  were  prose- 
cuted with  great  vigor  during  the  early  part  of  the  year 
1863.  The  new  works  recommended  were  entirely  com- 
pleted during  that  year,  and  ready  indeed  to  render 

[40] 


THE  DEFENSES 

efficient  service  by  the  time  the  season  of  active  field 
operations  commenced.  That  on  the  spur  behind  Forts 
Cass  and  Woodbury — Fort  Whipple — and  that  at  the 
Kcd  House,  Fort  C.  F.  Smith,  became  the  most  perfect 
and  beautiful  specimens  of  what  may  be  called  "semi- 
permanent" field  works.  So  also  was  Fort  Foote, 
designed  as  a  water  battery  in  conjunction  with  Battery 
Rodgers. 

The  operations  of  18G4  (during  the  latter  half  of  the 
year)  under  charge  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  B.  S.  Alex- 
ander, whose  aid  during  their  whole  progress  had  been 
of  great  value  to  the  chief  engineer,  were  confined  mainly 
to  the  repairing,  strengthening,  and  perfecting  existing 
works.  An  exception  to  the  above  statement  is  to  be 
found  in  the  beginning  of  a  large  fort,  styled  Fort 
McPherson  (but  never  completed),  behind  Fort  Craig, 
to  fill  the  gap  in  the  second  line,  between  Forts  Whipple 
and  Albany,  and  of  three  small  works  over  the  Anacostia, 
between  Forts  Mahan  and  Meigs. 

Thus,  from  a  few  isolated  works  covering  bridges  or 
commanding  a  few  especially  important  points,  wras 
developed  a  connected  sj'stem  of  fortification  by  which 
every  prominent  point,  at  intervals  of  800  to  1,000  yards, 
was  occupied  by  an  inclosed  field-fort,  every  important 
approach  or  depression  of  ground,  unseen  from  the  forts, 
swept  by  a  battery  for  field-guns  and  the  whole  con- 
nected by  rifle-trenches  which  were  in  fact  lines  of 
infantry  parapet,  furnishing  emplacement  for  two  ranks 
of  men  and  affording  covered  communication  along  the 
line,  while  roads  were  opened  wherever  necessary,  so  that 
troops  and  artillery  could  be  moved  rapidly  from  one 
point  of  the  immense  periphery  to  another,  or  under 
cover,  from  point  to  point  along  the  line. 

The  woods  which  prevailed  along  many  parts  of  the 

[41] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

line  were  cleared  for  a  mile  or  two  in  front  of  the  works 
the  counterscarps  of  which  were  surrounded  by  abattis. 
Bomb-proofs  were  provided  in  nearly  all  the  forts;  all 
guns  not  solely  intended  for  distant  fire,  placed  in 
embrasure  and  well  traversed;  secure  and  well- ventilated 
magazines  ample  to  contain  100  rounds  per  gun,  con- 
structed ;  the  original  crude  structures,  built  after  designs 
given  in  text-books  for  "field  fortifications,"  replaced  by 
others,  on  plans  experience  developed,  or  which  the 
increased  powers  of  modern  artillery  made  necessary. 
All  commanding  points  on  which  an  enemy  would  be 
likely  to  concentrate  artillery  to  overpower  that  of  one 
or  more  of  our  forts  or  batteries  wore  subjected  not  only 
to  the  fires,  direct  and  cross,  of  many  points  along  the 
line,  but  also  from  heavy  rifled  guns  from  distant  points 
unattainable  by  the  enemy's  field-guns.  With  all  these 
developments  the  lines  certainly  approximated  to  the 
maximum  degree  of  strength  which  can  be  attained 
from  unrevetted  earth-works.  When  in  July,  1864, 
Early  appeared  before  Washington,  all  the  artillery  reg- 
iments which  had  constituted  the  garrisons  of  the  works 
and  who  were  experienced  in  the  use  of  the  artillery,  had 
been  withdrawn  and  their  places  mainly  filled  by  a  few 
regiments  of  "one  hundred  days  men,"  just  mustered 
into  the  service.  The  advantage,  under  these  circum- 
stances, of  established  lines  of  infantry  perapet,  and 
prepared  emplacements  for  field  guns,  can  hardly  be 
overestimated.  Bodies  of  hastily  organized  men,  such  as 
teamsters,  quartermaster's  men,  citizen  volunteers,  etc., 
sent  out  to  the  lines,  could  hardly  go  amiss.  Under  other 
circumstances  it  would  have  been  almost  impossible 
speedily  to  have  got  them  into  any  proper  position  and 
to  have  kept  them  in  it.  With  equal  facility  the  mova- 
ble batteries  of  field  guns  found,  without  a  moment's 

[42] 


THE  DEFENSES 

delay,  their  appropriate  places  where,  covered  by  the 
enemy's  fire,  they  occupied  the  very  best  positions  which 
the  topography  afforded. 

At  the  termination  of  the  war  in  April,  18G5,  the 
"defenses  of  Washington"  consisted  of  G8  inclosed  forts 
and  batteries  having  an  aggregate  perimeter  of  22,800 
yards  (13  miles)  and  emplacements  for  1,120  guns,  807 
of  which  and  98  mortars  were  actually  mounted;  of  93 
unarmed  batteries  for  field-guns  having  401  emplace- 
ments; and  of  35,711  yards  (20  miles)  of  rifle  trenches, 
and  3  block  houses.  Thirty-two  miles  of  military  roads, 
besides  the  existing  roads  of  the  District  and  the  avenues 
of  Washington,  served  as  the  means  of  communication 
from  the  interior  to  the  defensive  lines,  and  from  point 
to  point  thereof.  The  entire  circuit,  including  the  dis- 
tance across  the  Potomac  from  Fort  Greble  to  Fort  Lyon 
(four  miles),  was  thirty-seven  miles. 


Bomb-Proof  Fort  Near  Washington. 


[43] 


The  Part  taken  by  the  Naval  Forces  in  the 
Defense  of  Washington  During  the  Civil 
War 

BY  RICHARD  WAINWRIGHT 

Commander    U.    S.    Navy    and    Superintendent    Naval 

Academy 

HE  first  order  issued  to  the 
Naval  Forces  for  the  pro- 
tection of  Washington  was 
dated  January  5,  18G1, 
signed  by  Isaac  Toucey, 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and 
addressed  to  Colonel  John 
Harris,  Commandant,  Ma- 
rine Corps,  directing  that  a 
force  of  Marines  be  sent  to 
Fort  Washington,  down  the 
Potomac,  for  the  protec- 
tion of  public  property. 
Forty  men,  commanded  by  Captain  A.  S.  Taylor,  U.  S. 
Marine  Corps,  were  sent  in  obedience  to  this  order. 

Under  pressure  from  Commander  J.  A.  Dahlgren, 
Commodore  Franklin  Buchanan,  Commandant  of  the 
Washington  Yard,  on  February  1,  issued  an  order  for  the 
defense  of  the  yard  and  prescribing  the  necessary  organ- 
ization and  points  for  assembling.  On  April  22,  Commo- 
dore Buchanan  resigned  and  soon  after  joined  the 
Confederate  Navy.  Commander  Dahlgren  now  became 


Welles. 


PART  TAKEN  BY  THE  NAVAL  FORCES 

commandant  and  all  available  means  for  defense  were 
put  in  shape. 

On  April  19,  the  Pawnee,  Commander  Rowan,  arrived 
off  the  Washington  Arsenal  and  on  the  following  day  the 
packet  Anacostia  was  armed  and  sent,  under  the  com- 
mand of  Lieutenant  Fillebrown,  down  the  Potomac  to 
Kettle  Bottom  Shoals,  to  prevent  obstructions  being 
placed  in  the  river.  The  Mount  Vernon  having  been 
seized  by  the  army  at  Alexandria,  was  armed  for  service. 
The  Steamer  Pocahontas,  Commander  J.  P.  Gillis, 
arrived  from  New  York  and  was  ordered  to  cruise  down 
the  river  as  far  as  the  "White  House."  A  number  of 
other  small  river  steamers  and  tugs  were  armed  at  this 
time.  They  were  employed  in  patrolling  the  river,  in 
reserving  and  placing  the  aids  to  navigation,  and  over- 
lauling  all  boats  on  the  river  for  arms,  etc.  Among 
these  armed  boats  wcry  the  Powhatan,  Lieutenant  Spros- 
m  commanding;  the  Philadelphia,  Lieutenant  G.  N. 
[orris  and  afterwards  Lieutenant  W.  N.  Jeffers,  com- 
manding; the  Robert  Leslie,  Lieutenant  J.  H.  Russell, 
commanding;  and  the  Baltimore,  Lieutenant  W.  C.  West, 
commanding. 

Early  in  May  Commander  J.  H.  Ward  was  assigned 
to  the  charge  of  the  Potomac  flotilla.  He  had  suggested 
the  idea  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  and  brought  several 
light  draft  boats  from  New  York  to  form  a  part  of  the 
flotilla. 

The  first  Confederate  battery  on  the  Potomac  was  dis- 
covered at  Aquia  Creek  on  May  14  by  Lieutenant  Spros- 
ton.  and  was  afterwards  reported  by  several  of  the 
patrolling  boats. 

On  May  24,  all  the  steamers,  lighters,  and  boats  at  the 
Navy  Yard  were  used  to  convey  the  New  York  Regiment 
of  Zouaves  (Ellsworth's  Fire  Zouaves)  from  Giesboro 

[45] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

Point  to  Alexandria.  It  was  immediately  after  this  land- 
ing that  Colonel  Ellsworth  was  murdered. 

On  May  31,  Commander  Ward  with  the  Thomas  Free- 
bom,  the  Anacostia,  and  the  Resolute,  of  the  Potomac 
Flotilla,  attacked  the  batteries  at  Aquia  Creek.  On  the 
following  day,  the  bombardment  was  attempted,  the  ships 
being  reinforced  by  the  Pawnee,  Commander  Rowan.  On 
the  2Gth,  the  bombardment  ended  without  injury  to  either 
side.  The  shore  batteries  were  silenced  only  to  break  out 
again,  on  the  cessation  of  firing  from  the  vessels  per- 
mitting the  men  to  leave  their  protection. 

On  June  23,  Commander  Ward  applied  for  the  aid  of 
about  two  hundred  soldiers  to  assist  him  in  the  attack 
upon  some  Confederate  troops  at  Mathias  Point.  These 
troops  could  not  be  spared,  and  on  June  27  with  the  aid 
of  boat's  creAv  from  the  Pawnee,  commanded  by  Lieu- 
tenant Chaplin,  he  landed  the  men  from  the  Freedom 
and  attacked  the  Confederate  troops  at  Mathias  Point, 
with  the  aid  of  the  guns  of  the  Freedom.  The  landing 
party  was  repulsed,  and  Captain  Ward  was  killed  while 
sighting  the  bow  gun  of  his  own  vessel.  Commander 
T.  T.  Craven  was  then  ordered  to  command  the  Potomac 
Flotilla. 

In  the  latter  part  of  July,  Lieutenant  Parker,  with  one 
hundred  and  ten  seamen  and  forty  marines,  was  sent  to 
Fort  Ellsworth  beyond  Alexandria.  They  laid  the  plat- 
forms and  mounted  a  naval  battery  of  three  9-inch  guns 
and  five  howitzers.  This  was  a  joint  occupancy  with  the 
Army,  Fort  Ellsworth  being  at  the  time  the  fort  nearest 
the  Confederate  lines,  Fort  Munson  being  their  opposing 
fort.  Lieutenant  Parker  was  afterwards  relieved,  and 
Commander  R.  Wainwright  was  sent  in  command  of  a 
detachment  of  three  hundred  seamen  and  four  officers  to 
man  this  Fort.  Afterwards  a  guard  of  thirty  marines  wqg 

[40] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

added  to  the  force,  and  manned  a  small  water  battery 
erected  near  the  Fort.  The  entire  force  was  withdrawn  in 
November. 

Commander  Charles  Wilkes  was  ordered  to  command 
the  Potomac  Flotilla  in  August,  1862.  He  was  succeeded 
in  September  of  the  same  year  by  Commodore  Andrew 
A.  Harwood,  who  was  relieved  in  December,  18G3,  by 
Commander  Foxhall  A.  Parker.  After  November,  18G1, 
the  work  of  the  Navy  in  the  defense  of  Washington  was 
confined  to  patrolling  the  Potomac  Ixiver.  On  several 
occasions,  on  the  request  of  the  General  in  command  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  the  Commander  of  the  flotilla 
was  specially  cautioned  to  prevent  the  passage  of  the 
Potomac  Elver  by  the  Confederate  Army.  They  grad- 
ually obtained  possession  of  the  boats  on  the  river.  At 
times  they  were  attacked  by  the  Confederates  from  com- 
manding positions  on  shcr3,  but  there  were  no  other 
engagements  on  the  river  of  sufficient  importance  to  be 
noted. 


^ 


A    War-Time    View    of    the    Washington    Navy    Yard. 


[48] 


Early's  March  to  Washington 


BY  THOMAS  McCURDY  VINCENT 

Brigadier  General,  by  brevet,  U.  S.  Army 

FTER  the  battle  of  New 
Market.  May  15,  1864,  Major 
(jeneral  Hunter  assumed 
command  of  the  Department 
of  West  Virginia,  at  Cedar 
Creek,  May  21;  and  the 
Lynchburg  expedition, 
through  the  Army  of  the 
Sheiiandoah,  assumed  prom- 
inence. Hunter  started  with 
about  8,500  men  of  all  arms, 

General  M.  C.  Meigs.  am]  ^^  uniting  with  Crook 

and  Averill  his  force  was  about  18,000.  During  the  ad- 
vance of  the  Army  of  the  Shenandoah  it  was  successful  in 
several  actions,  and  on  June  14,  1864,  Secretary  Stanton 
telegraphed  to  General  Hunter: 

This  Department  has  received,  with  great  satisfaction, 
your  special  dispatch  (June  8)  announcing  the  recent 
brilliant  victory  won  by  }Tour  army,  and  their  occupation 
(June  6)  of  the  city  of  Staunton.  These  brilliant  achieve- 
ments wipe  out  the  antecedent  disasters  to  our  army  in 
former  campaigns  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  induce 
strong  hope  that,  led  on  by  the  courage  and  guided  by  the 
experienced  skill  of  its  commander,  the  Army  of  the 
Shenandoah  will  rival  other  gallant  armies  in  the  suc- 
cessful blows  against  the  rebels.  For  yourself  and  the 
brave  officers  and  soldiers  of  your  command  the  thanks 
of  the  President  and  of  this  Department  are  tendered. 

.4  [49J 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

Unfortunately  the  great  satisfaction,  as  thus  an- 
nounced, was  followed  by  the  heavy  gloom  connected  with 
subsequent  important  operations. 

Lieutenant-General  Jubal  A.  Early's  forces  of  the 
Confederate  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  moved  from 
Games'  Mill  to  Lynchburg,  to  defend  that  place  from 
Hunter's  meditated  attack;  to  strike  Hunter's  force  in 
the  rear,  and,  if  possible,  to  destroy  it;  then  to  move 
down  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  and  to  cross  the  Potomac 
at  Leesburg,  or  at,  or  above,  Harper's  Ferry,  as  might 
be  found  most  practicable.  Early  has  said:  "General 
Lee  did  not  expect  me  to  be  able  to  enter  Washington. 
His  orders  were  merely  to  threaten  the  city ;  and,  when  I 
suggested  to  him  the  idea  of  capturing  it  he  said  it  would 
be  impossible."  As  to  this  movement  General  Early,  in 
a  telegram  dated  June  16,  1864.  sent  to  General  Breckin- 
ridge  at  Lynchburg  said :  "My  first  object  is  to  destroy 
Hunter,  and  the  next  it  is  not  prudent  to  trust  to  tele- 
graph. Hold  on  and  you  will  be  amply  supported." 
Hunter  failed  in  his  attempt  on  Lynchburg.  and,  owing 
to  want  of  ammunition,  retired  from  before  the  place  and 
fell  back  into  West  Virginia.  He  was  pursued  by  Early's 
force  for  three  days — about  60  miles — until  Hunter 
reached  the  mountains,  en  route  by  way  of  Salem  and 
Lewisburg.  He  left  Charleston,  Kanawha,  July  3,  and 
reached  Parkersburg  July  4,  by  water.  June  22  the 
pursuit  ceased,  as  Early  did  not  deem  it  proper  to  con- 
tinue it.  Sheridan,  during  his  Trevilian  Station  cavalry 
raid,  was  to  have  united,  by  way  of  Charlottesville,  with 
Hunter  at  Lynchburg,  and  their  combined  forces  were  to 
have  destroyed  Lee's  communications  and  depots,  and 
then  to  have  joined  Grant  before  Richmond.  After  the 
severe  battle  at  Trevilian  Station.  Sheridan  learned,  from 
prisoners,  that  Hunter  instead  of  coming  to  Charlottes- 

[50] 


EARLY  8  MARCH 

ville  was  near  Lexington,  moving  upon  Lynchburg;  that 
Early's  corps  was  on  its  way  to  Lynchburg;  and  that 
Breckinridge  was  at  Gordonsville.  Therefore,  he  con- 
cluded to  return  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Hunter's 
movements  had  rendered  it  impracticable  for  Sheridan 
to  execute  his  orders  in  the  piv-ence  of  the  cavalry  forces 
of  Hampton  and  Fitz  Lee.  In  communicating  with  one 
of  Hunter's  subordinates  as  to  this  movement,  Stanton 
said :  "General  Sheridan,  who  was  sent  by  General  Grant 
to  open  communication  with  General  Hunter  by  way  of 
Charlottesville,  has  just  returned  to  York  River  without 
effecting  his  object.  It  is  therefore  very  probable  that 
General  Hunter  will  be  compelled  to  fall  back  into  West 
Virginia." 

Early,  after  his  pursuit  of  Hunter  had  ceased,  became 
subject  to  the  orders  of  General  Lee  directing  him,  "after 
disposing  of  Hunter."  to  return  to  Lee's  army,  or  to 
carry  out  the  original  plan  of  an  expedition  across  the 
Potomac.  Early  determined  to  take  the  responsibility 
of  the  latter.  He  marched  to  Buchanan.  June  23,  reached 
Staunton  in  advance  of  his  troops  on  the  2Gth,  his  troops 
arriving  on  the  27th.  and  on  the  28th  resumed  the  march, 
after  detaching  portions  of  his  corps  to  destroy  the  rail- 
road bridge  over  the  south  branch  of  the  Potomac,  and 
all  the  bridges  on  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad 
between  the  south  branch  and  Martinsburg.  On  July  2 
he  was  in  Winchester,  and  there  received  orders  ''to 
destroy  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  road  and  the  Chesapeake 
and  Ohio  Canal,  as  far  as  possible/'  On  July  3  the  Union 
forces  evacuated  Martinsburg,  skirmished  with  and 
fought  the  enemy  en  route,  and  during  the  night  retreated 
across  the  Potomac,  at  Shepherdstown,  to  Maryland 
TTpijrhts.  During  the  night  of  July  4  the  Union  forces 
evacuated  Harper's  Ferry,  burning  the  Potomac  railroad 

[51] 


WASHINGTON     DURING    WAR    TIME 

and  pontoon  bridges.  It  was  not  until  the  5th  that 
General  Grant  was  positive  that  Early  was  not  in  front 
of  Richmond ! 

On  July  5  and  6,  Early's  troops  crossed  the  Potomac 
at  Shepherdstown,  a  detachment  advancing  towards 
Maryland  Heights,  when  the  Union  forces  there  took 
position  in  the  works.  Early  has  said:  "My  desire  had 
been  to  mano3uvre  the  enemy  out  of  Maryland  Heights, 
so  as  to  move  directly  to  Washington;  but  he  had  taken 
refuge  in  his  strongly  fortified  works,  and  I  therefore 
determined  to  move  through  the  gaps  of  South  Mountain, 
north  of  the  Heights."  At  an  early  hour  on  the  morning 
of  July  8,  the  entire  force  moved ;  a  part  through  Cramp- 
ton's  Gap;  another  through  Fox's  Gap;  and  a  third 
through  Boonsboro'  Gap  with  the  trains  and  rear-guard 
which  had  started  the  night  before  from  Harper's  Ferry, 
after  burning  the  trestle  railroad  works.  Early  had  been 
informed  by  General  Lee  that  an  effort  would  be  made 
to  release  the  prisoners  of  war  at  Point  Lookout;  and  he 
was  directed  to  take  steps  to  unite  them  with  his  com- 
mand. Early  has  said :  *  *  *  "On  the  9th,  Johnson  with 
his  brigade  of  cavalry  arid  horse  artillery,  moved  to  the 
north  of  Frederick,  with  orders  to  strike  the  railroads 
from  Baltimore  to  Harrisburg  and  Philadelphia,  burn  the 
bridges  over  the  Gunpowder,  also  to  cut  the  railroad 
between  Washington  and  Baltimore,  and  threaten  the 
latter  place;  and  then,  if  we  should  succeed  in  getting 
into  Washington,  to  move  towards  Point  Lookout  for 
the  purpose  of  releasing  the  prisoners."  The  other 
troops  moved  towards  Monocacy  Junction.  The  battle  of 
the  Monocacy  was  fought  on  the  9th,  and  on  the  10th  the 
victorious  Confederate  army  moved  at  daylight,  and 
bivouacked  that  afternoon  at  and  near  Rockville.  Thence, 
at  daylight  on  the  llth,  the  movement  was  resumed;  and 

[52] 


EARLY'S  MARCH 

Early  rode  ahead,  on  the  Seventh  Street  pike,  arriving 
in  sight  of  Fort  Stevens  a  short  time  after  noon.  There- 
upon ho  ordered  his  advance  division  to  form  line  as 
rapidly  as  possible,  throw  out  skirmishers,  and  move 
into  the  works,  if  it  could  be  done;  but,  before  the  divi- 
sion could  be  brought  up,  a  column  of  Union  troops 
chirred  the  works,  skirmishers  were  thrown  out  in  front, 
and  an  artillery  fire  opened  upon  the  Confederate  force. 
The  attempted  surprise  was  thus  defeated,  and  it  became 
necessary  for  Early  to  reconnoiter,  which  consumed  the 
remainder  of  the  day,  with  the  result  that  he  determined 
to  make  an  assault  upon  the  works  at  daylight  the  morn- 
ing of  the  12th.  That  morning  "as  soon  as  it  was  light 
enough  to  see,"  Early  "rode  to  the  front  and  found  the 
parapet  lined  with  troops."  After  that  discovery  we  have 
his  own  words :  "I  had,  therefore,  reluctantly,  to  give  up 
all  hopes  of  capturing  Washington  after  I  had  arrived 
in  sight  of  the  dome  of  the  Capitol  and  given  the  Federal 
authorities  a  terrible  fright."  The  Sixth  Corps  had 
arrived  the  evening  of  the  llth;  and  Major  General  Alex- 
ander McD.  McCook,  in  command  of  the  northern  line 
of  defense,  "deemed  it  absolutely  necessary  that  the 
immediate  front  should  be  picketed  by  experienced  men." 
Accordingly,  he  directed  Major  General  Horatio  G. 
Wright  "to  furnish  a  force  900  strong  of  this  (his)  Vet- 
eran Corps  for  picket  duty  during  the  night,  constant 
skirmishing  being  kept  up  between  the  lines  until  after 
dark  on  the  llth."  Troops  from  that  corps,  also,  at 
G  P.  M.  on  the  12th.  made  the  successful  assault  upon  the 
two  important  points  held  by  the  enemy;  and  the  Sixth 
Corps  was  selected  because  McCook,  as  said  by  him, 
believed  that  its  veterans  could  do  the  work  better,  and 
with  less  loss  of  life,  than  any  other  troops  under  his 
command. 

[53] 


WAStilNQTON    DU6ING    WAfe    TIMfi 

"Inadequately  manned  as  the  fortifications  (of  Wash- 
ington) were,  they  compelled,  at  least,  concentration  on 
the  part  of  the  assailants,  and  thus  gave  time  for  the 
arrival  of  succor."  The  Third  Division  of  the  Sixth 
Corps,  which  had  been  detached  by  way  of  Baltimore, 
contributed,  mainly,  to  the  delay  of  Early's  forces  at  the 
Monocacy,  and  that  delay  proved  important  in  connec- 
tion with  the  timely  arrival  of  the  other  two  Sixth  Corps 
Divisions,  under  the  command  of  Wright.  At  the  battle 
of  the  Monocacy,  July  9,  the  Third  Division  of  the  Sixth 
Corps,  under  Major  General  James  B.  Ricketts,  fought, 
practically,  as  an  out-post  force,  in  aid  of  the  First  and 
Second  Divisions  of  that  Corps,  at  the  time  on  the  way 
to  Washington.  Therefore  it  is  pertinent  that  the  part 
performed  by  the  Third  Division  should  be  noted,  for  it 
had  much  to  do  connected  with  the  march  of  Early. 

Major  General  Lewis  Wallace,  who  commanded  at  the 
battle  of  the  Monocacy,  and  fought  from  9  A.  M.  to  5  P.  M., 
telegraphed,  July  9,'  to  General  Halleck : 

*  *  *  I  am  retreating  a  foot-sore,  battered,  and  half 
demoralized  column.  *  *  *  You  will  have  to  use  every 
exertion  to  save  Baltimore  and  Washington.  *  *  *  I 
think  that  the  troops  of  the  Sixth  Corps  fought  magnifi- 
cently. I  was  totally  overwhelmed  by  a  force  from  the 
direction  of  Harper's  Ferry  arriving  during  the  battle. 
Two  fresh  regiments  of  the  Sixth  Corps  are  covering  my 
retreat.  I  shall  try  to  get  to  Baltimore. 

Wallace  reported  more  fully  from  Ellicott's  Mills,  on 
July  10,  to  General  Halleck,  in  part  as  follows: 

*  *  *  The  column  of  cavalry  and  artillery  of  the  enemy 
worked  rapidly  around  to  my  left  and  crossed  the  river 
in  face  of  my  guard  and  charged  confidently  upon 
General  Ricketts'  Third  Division,  Sixth  Army"  Corps. 
The  General  changed  front  and  repulsed  them,  and 
charged  in  turn  and  drove  them  gallantly.  The  enemy 

[54] 


EARLY'S  MARCS 

then  advanced  a  second  line.  This  the  General  repulsed 
and  drove.  Meanwhile  the  enemy  placed  at  least  two  bat- 
teries in  position,  so  that  when  he  made  his  final  charge 
with  four  lines  of  infantry,  about  3:30  p.  M.,  the  resistance 
of  Kicketts'  Division  was  under  an  enfilading  fire  of  shell 
really  terrific.  The  moment  I  saw  the  third  rebel  line 
advance  I  ordered  the  General  to  make  such  preparation 
as  he  could  and  retire  his  command  by  a  country  road  up 
the  river  to  the  Baltimore  pike.  This  was  accomplished 
with  an  extraordinary  steadiness.  The  men  of  the  Third 
Division  were  not  whipped,  but  retired  reluctantly  under 
my  orders.  They  bore  the  brunt  of  the  battle  with  a  cool- 
IHV-S  and  steadiness  which,  I  venture  to  say,  has  not  been 
exceeded  in  any  battle  during  the  war.  Too  much  credit 
cannot  be  given  General  Ricketts  for  his  skill  and  cour- 
age. *  *  *  Each  one  of  his  (the  enemy)  four  lines  of 
attack  presented  a  front  greater  than  that  of  General 
Ricketts'  Division  all  deployed.  *  *  * 

I  had  three  objects  in  view :  first,  to  keep  open,  if  pos- 
sible, the  communication  with  Harper's  Ferry ;  second,  to 
cover  the  roads  to  Washington  and  Baltimore ;  the  last,  to 
make  the  enemy  develop  his  force.  * 

The  men  of  the  Sixth  Corps  reached  this  place  (Elli- 
cott's  Mills)  in  perfect  order,  and  covered  the  retreat. 

On  July  10,  Major  General  Wright,  from  the  head- 
quarters of  the  Sixth  Army  Corps — then  at  Fort  Stevens 
with  the  First  and  Second  Divisions — in  transmitting  a 
copy  of  the  report  from  General  Wallace  presenting  the 
part  taken  by  Ricketts'  Third  Division  at  the  Monocacy, 
said :  "The  terms  in  which  General  Wallace  commends 
the  conduct  of  General  Ricketts'  Division  is  no  more  than 
I  expected,  but  is  so  complimentary  that  I  take  pleasure 
in  bringing  it  to  the  notice  of  the  Military  Authorities." 

In  August,  1864,  General  Wallace  made  his  report  in 
full  of  the  operations  of  his  command  in  the  vicinity  of 
Frederick,  Maryland,  which  resulted  in  the  battle  of  Mo- 
nocacy, July  9;  and  to  that  report  he  appended  his 

[55] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

informal  report,  July  10,  from  Ellicott's  Mills.  On  July 
5,  from  information  that  he  had  received,  he  viewed  that 
the  probable  objectives  of  Early's  forces  were  reduced  to 
Washington,  Baltimore,  and  Maryland  Heights;  and,  as 
to  that  situation,  he  has  said : 

*  *  *  With  an  enemy  north  of  the  Potomac,  and 
approaching  from  the  west,  having  in  view  any  or  all  the 
objectives  mentioned,  the  importance  of  the  position  on 
which  I  ultimately  gave  battle  cannot  be  overestimated. 
There,  within  the  space  of  two  miles,  converge  the  pikes 
to  Washington  and  Baltimore,  and  the  Baltimore  and 
Ohio  Railroad;  there  also  is  the  iron  bridge  over  the 
Monocacy,  upon  which  depends  communication  to  Har- 
per's Ferry.  Moreover,  as  a  defensive  position  for  an 
army  seeking  to  cover  the  cities  above  mentioned  from  the 
direction  I  was  threatened,  the  point  is  very  strong;  the 
river  covers  its  entire  front.  In  the  low  stage  of  water 
the  fords  are  few,  and  particularly  difficult  for  artillery, 
and  the  commanding  heights  are  all  on  the  eastern  banks, 
while  the  ground  on  the  opposite  side  is  level  and  almost 
without  obstruction. 

After  General  Wallace  had,  actively  and  carefully, 
matured  his  plans  and  determined  the  place  for  battle, 
he  telegraphed  to  General  Halleck,  July  8 :  "I  shall  with- 
draw immediately  from  Frederick  City  and  put  myself 
in  position  to  cover  road  to  Washington  if  necessary;" 
and  in  the  morning  of  July  9,  he  made  disposition  for 
battle.  The  right,  forming  an  extended  line,  from  the 
railroad,was  given  to  General  E.  B.  Tyler.  His  troops — 
scant  2,500  of  all  arms — were,  with  the  exception  of  one 
regiment  and  part  of  another  of  the  Potomac  Home 
Brigade  and  a  Maryland  battery,  "100  days  men."  On 
the  left,  likely  to  be  the  main  point  of  attack,  General 
Ricketts  was  directed  to  form  his  command — 3,350  men — 
in  two  lines  across  the  Washington  pike,  so  as  to  hold  the 

[56] 


EARLY7S  MARCH 

rising  ground  south  of  it,  and  the  wooden  bridge  across 
the  river;  and  still  further  to  the  left  was  placed  Clen- 
denin's  Squadron  of  Cavalry,  to  watch  that  flank  and 
guard,  by  detachments,  the  lower  fords.  Kicketts  and 
Tyler  each  received  three  guns,  and  later  Ricketts  was 
given  two  additional. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  recite  the  details  of  the  battle,  so 
fully  and  candidly  given  in  the  reports  of  General  Wal- 
lace, but  his  following  words  may  be  quoted : 

*  *  *  It  would  be  a  difficult  task  to  say  too  much  in 
praise  of  the  veterans  who  made  this  fight.  For  their 
reputation  and  for  the  truth's  sake,  I  wish  it  distinctly 
understood  that  though  the  appearance  of  the  enemy's 
fourth  line  of  battle  made  their  ultimate  defeat  certain, 
they  were  not  whipped ;  on  the  contrary,  they  were  fight- 
ing steadily  in  unbroken  front  when  I  ordered  their 
retirement,  all  the  shame  of  which,  if  shame  there  was,  is 
mine,  not  theirs.  The  nine  regiments  (First  and  Second 
Brigades.  Third  Division,  Sixth  Corps)  enumerated  as 
those  participating  in  the  action  represented  but  3.500 
men,  of  whom  over  l.GOO  were  missing  three  days  after, 
killed,  wounded,  or  prisoners — lost  on  the  field.  The  fact 
speaks  for  itself.  "Monocacy"  on  their  flags  cannot  be  a 
word  of  dishonor.  *  *  *  As  to  General  Ricketts,  atten- 
tion is  respectfully  called  to  the  mention  made  of  him 
in  the  (previous  report).  Every  word  of  it  is  as  deserved 
as  it  was  bravely  earned.  *  *  ' 

It  is  also  certain,  as  one  of  the  results,  that  notwith- 
standing the  disparity  of  forces  the  enemy  was  not  able  to 
move  from  the  battle-field  in  prosecution  of  his  march 
upon  Washington  until  the  next  day  about  noon.  *  *  * 

General  Grant  has  said : 

T  had  previously  ordered  General  Meade  to  send  a 
division  to  Baltimore  for  the  purpose  of  adding  to  the 
defenses  of  Washington,  and  he  sent  Ricketts'  Division 
of  the  Sixth  Corps  (Wright's),  which  arrived  in  Balti- 
more on  the  8th  of  July.  Finding  that  Wallace  had  gone 

[57] 


EARLT'S  MARCH 

to  the  front  with  his  command,  Ricketts  immediately  took 
the  cars  and  followed  him  to  the  Monocacy  with  his  entire 
division.  They  met  the  enemy,  and,  as  might  have  been 
expected,  were  defeated;  but  they  succeeded  in  stopping 
him  for  the  day  on  which  the  battle  took  place.  The 
next  morning  Early  started  on  his  marc.h  to  the  Capital 
of  the  nation,  arriving  before  it  on  the  llth.* 

Learning  of  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  I  had  directed 
General  Meade  to  also  order  Wright,  with  the  rest  of  his 
corps,  directly  to  Washington  for  the  relief  of  that  place, 
ami  the  latter  reached  there  the  very  day  that  Early 
arrived  before  it. 

The  act  of  February  '24.  18C.-J.  established  "the  will  of 
the  President  as  the  authority  for  raising  troops";  and, 
March  14,  a  call  was  made  for  200.000,  and  April  23,  for 
85,000,  numbers  that  indicate  an  energetic  struggle  for 
the  Union,  and  in  July,  we  had  in  service  about  900,000 
in  the  aggregate.  Notwithstanding  that  vast  force,  Wash- 
ington was  not  prepared  for  defense  by  the  31,000  aggre- 
gate present  July  10,  composed  mainly  of  invalids, 
military  hospital  guards,  recruits  under  instruction,  and 
provisional  forces.  The  Department  of  Washington  had 
been  stripped  of  veterans,  sent  to  aid  important  opera- 
tions elsewhere ;  and  the  944  heavy  guns  in  the  forts  were 
without  skilled  men  to  fire  them.  Consequently,  it  is 
not  astounding  that  in  late  June  and  early  July,  con- 
sternation reigned  supreme.  Aside  from  the  impaired 
finances  of  the  Government  and  the  fear  of  foreign  inter- 
vention, the  tentacula  of  Early *s  army  had  broken 
railroads  and  destroyed  much  property;  Washington  and 
Baltimore  were  filled  with  fugitives ;  two  passenger  trains 


*In  connection  with  Early's  march,  reference  may  be  had  to  his 
report,  July  14,  1864,  from  Leesburgr,  Va.,  and  the  transmittal, 
July  19,  by  General  Robert  E.  Lee,  commanding  the  Confederate 
Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  to  the  Confederate  War  Department, 
pages  346-7-8-9,  Vol.  37,  Part  1,  Records  of  the  Union  and  Con- 
federate Armies. 


[59] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

on  the  rail,  between  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  had 
been  upset  and  destroyed  by  the  enemy — Major  General 
William  B.  Franklin  captured  in  one  of  them;  the 
forces  in  the  Department  of  West  Virginia  were  par- 
alyzed; troops  from  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  were 
hard  to  obtain,  and  important  movements  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  had  been  delayed.  Moreover,  in  Kentucky, 
conditions  were  assuming  a  troubled  appearance;  ex- 
ternal raids  and  internal  troubles  in  other  States  promised 
a  warm  summer's  work;  a  treasonable  and  forged  procla- 
mation, in  the  name  of  President  Lincoln,  calling  for 
400,000  men.  and  appointing  May  2G  as  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer  had,  through  deception  and  fraud,  been 
imposed  upon  prominent  journals,  and  by  them  published, 
to  the  injury  of  the  Union  cause;  Cincinnati  and  Camp 
Chase  were  thought  of  as  probable  objectives  for  a  raid; 
the  Navy  was  applied  to  for  gun-boats  to  patrol  the  river 
between  Louisville  and  Wheeling,  thus  to  protect  Ohio; 
Indian  troubles  existed  in  the  West,  tending  in  one 
instance  to  international  complications ;  and  organizations 
were  reported,  throughout  the  Western  States,  having  for 
an  object  the  destruction  of  Government  property  and 
to  burn  the  vast  Government  depots  at  St.  Louis  and 
Indianapolis.  In  June,  while  the  aggregate  of  the  Union 
forces,  present  and  absent,  was  very  large,  the  aggregate 
present  was  only  G83.058 ! 

Under  such  adverse  conditions,  the  President,  in  almost 
utter  despair,  telegraphed  July  10,  2 :30  p.  M.,  to  General 
Grant  as  follows:  *  *  *  "General  Halleck  says  we  have 
absolutely  no  force  here  fit  to  take  the  field.  *  *  *  Wal- 
lace, with  some  odds  and  ends  and  part  of  what  came  up 
with  Ricketts,  was  so  badly  beaten  yesterday  at  Mono- 
cacy  that  what  is  left  can  attempt  no  more  than  to  defend 
Baltimore.  *  *  *  What  we  shall  get  in  from  Pennsyl- 

[60] 


EARLY  S   MARCH 


vania  and  New  York  will  be  scarcely  worth  counting,  I 
fear.  *  *  *  Now,  what  I  think  is  that  you  should  provide 
to  retain  your  hold  where  you  are,  certainly,  and  bring 
the  rest  with  you,  personally,  and  make  a  vigorous  effort 
to  destroy  the  enemy's  force  in  this  vicinity."  *  *  *  That 
date,  10 :30  P.  si.  Grant  replied  that  he  had  sent  the  Sixth 
Corps,  commanded  by  an  excellent  officer,  besides  over 
3,000  other  troops  and  one  division  of  the  Nineteenth 
Corps.  He  added:  "Before  more  troops  can  be  sent 
from  here,  Hunter  \vill  be  able  to  join  Wright  in  the 
rear  of  the  enemy,  with  at  least  10,000  men,  besides  a  force 
sufficient  to  hold  Maryland  Heights."  *  *  *  Here  it  is 
well  to  note  that  Hunter  was  forced  to  remain  at  Cumber- 
land until  July  14,  "pressing  forward  his  troops  who 
continued  to  arrive  slowly  from  the  West" — that  date 
he  left  Cumberland,  reached  Martinsburg  (occupied  by 
Sullivan's  Union  Cavalry  on  the  10th)  and  arrived  at 
Harper's  Ferry,  on  horseback,  the  same  night.  The 
morning  of  the  14th,  Early  had  crossed  the  Potomac  at 
White's  Ford,  and  continued  his  retreat. 

When  Early 's  Army  reached  the  gates  of  Washington, 
and  its  able  commander,  from  his  position  at  Fort 
Stevens,  gazed  upon  the  dome  of  the  Capitol,  it  is  evident 
that  could  he  have  unfurled  the  Confederate  colors  from 
that  dome,  "it  would  have  been  the  signal  of  'recognition' 
by  those  foreign  powers  whose  open  influence  and  active 
agency  was  likely  to  be  too  willingly  thrown,  with  what- 
ever plausible  pretext,  into  the  scale  of  dismemberment, 
to  become  decisive  of  the  event."  The  enemy  was  at 
Fort  Stevens,  with  good  chances  of  occupying  Washing- 
ton, dispersing  the  United  States  Government,  and 
destroying  the  archives — all  of  which  could  have  been 
completed  by  a  single  day's  possession. 

Lincoln's  presence  at   Fort   Stevens  proved   a  grand 

[61] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

inspiration  to  the  troops  defending  the  Capital.  The 
army  recognized  him  as  the  foremost  of  the  men  who 
were  "alive  to  the  great  questions  of  the  hour,  and  watch- 
ing the  development  of  minds  and  of  events."  With  his 
military  service  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  as  a  basis,  his 
subsequent  study,  particularly  from  18G1  to  18G5,  devel- 
oped him  "into  a  great  military  man,  that  is  to  say  a 
man  of  supreme  military  judgment."  We  have  the 
evidence  of  this  through  the  pointed  questions  and  mem- 
oranda propounded  by  him,  and  submitted  to  his  generals, 
during:  the  Civil  War. 


On  the  Parapet  at  Fort  Stevens. 

When  the  Sixth  Corps  arrived,  the  President's  anxiety 
was  so  heavy  that  he  went  to  the  Seventh  Street  wharf  to 
welcome  the  troops  and  to  inspire  them  to  move,  with 
haste,  to  Fort  Stevens;  and  at  that  fort  his  fearlessness, 
characteristic  of  his  entire  life,  led  him  to  expose  himself 
to  the  bullets  of  the  enemy  until  he  was  forced  to  occupy 

[62] 


EARLY'S   MARCH 

a  safe  position  behind  the  parapet.  That  marked  bravery, 
of  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army  and  Navy,  gave 
magnificent  encouragement  to  the  forces  defending  the 
fort! 

The  Sixth  Corps,  under  the  distinguished  Wright, 
saved  Washington!  Halleck  telegraphed  to  Grant  on 
July  13: 

The  enemy  fell  back  during  the  night.  *  *  *  From  the 
most  reliable  estimates  we  can  get  of  the  enemy's  force, 
it  numbers  22.000  to  25.000,  exclusive  of  cavalry.  They 
state  that  a  part  of  Hill's  Corps  is  coming  to  reinforce 
them,  and,  that,  without  them,  they  would  have  captured 
Washington,  if  the  Sixth  Corps  had  not  arrived. 

The  historic  battlefield  of  Fort  Stevens  should,  for  all 
time,  stand  well  to  the  front  in  the  memory  of  the  people, 
as  a  sacred  place  of  inspiration.  Fort  Stevens  should  be 
perpetuated  in  granite — at  least  the  place  where  Lincoln 
stood — and  be  the  base  for  figures  in  bronze,  of  Lincoln 
and  Wright ! 

So  intense  was  the  gloom  preceding  the  battle  of  Fort 
Stevens,  that,  July  7,  the  President  promulgated,  as 
expressive  of  the  sense  of  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  the  following  self-explanatory  Proclamation: 

BY  THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  : 
A  PROCLAMATION. 

Whereas,  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  at 
their  last  session  adopted  a  concurrent  resolution,  which 
was  appoved  on  the  second  day  of  July  instant,  and 
which  was  in  the  words  following,  namely: 

That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be  requested  to 
appoint  a  day  for  humiliation  and  prayer  by  the  people 
of  the  United  States;  that  he  request  his  constitutional 

[63] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

advisers  at  the  head  of  the  Executive  Departments  to 
unite  with  him  as  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  Nation,  at  the 
city  of  Washington,  and  the  members  of  Congress,  and  all 
magistrates,  all  civil,  military,  and  naval  officers,  all 
soldiers,  sailors,  and  marines,  with  all  loyal  and  law-abid- 
ing people,  to  convene  at  their  usual  places  of  worship, 
or  wherever  they  may  be,  to  confess  and  repent  of  their 
manifold  sins;  to  implore  the  compassion  and  forgiveness 
of  the  Almighty,  that,  if  consistent  with  His  will,  the 
existing  rebellion  may  be  speedily  suppressed,  and  the 
supremacy  of  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  the  United 
States  may  be  established  throughout  all  the  States;  to 
implore  Him.  as  the  Supreme  Ruler  of  the  world,  not  to 
destroy  us  as  a  people,  nor  suffer  us  to  be  destroyed  by  the 
hostility  or  connivance  of  other  nations,  or  by  obstinate 
adhesion  to  our  own  counsels  which  may  be  in  conflict 
with  His  eternal  purposes,  and  to  implore  Him  to  en- 
lighten the  mind  of  the  Nation  to  know  and  to  do  His 
will,  humbly  believing  that  it  is  in  accordance  with  His 
will  that  our  place  should  be  maintained  as  a  united 
people  among  the  family  of  nations;  to  implore  Him  to 
grant  to  our  armed  defenders  and  the  masses  of  the  people 
that  courage,  power  of  resistance,  and  endurance  neces- 
sary to  secure  that  result ;  to  implore  Him  and  His  infinite 
goodness  to  soften  the  hearts,  enlighten  the  minds,  and 
quicken  the  consciences  of  those  in  rebellion  that  they 
lay  down  their  arms  and  speedily  return  to  their  allegi- 
ance to  the  United  States,  that  they  may  not  be  utterly 
destroyed,  that  the  effusion  of  blood  may  be  stayed,  and 
that  unity  and  fraternity  may  be  restored,  and  peace 
established  throughout  our  borders. 

Now,  therefore,  I,  Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the 
United  States,  cordially  concurring  with  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States  in  the  penitential  and  pious  sentiments 
expressed  in  the  aforesaid  resolution,  and  heartily  ap- 
proving of  the  devotional  design  and  purpose  thereof,  do 
hereby  appoint  the  first  Thursday  of  August  next  to  be 
<>l»t>rved  by  the  people  of  the  United  States  as  a  day  of 
national  humiliation  and  prayer. 

I  do  hereby  further  invite  and  request  the  heads  of  the 


EARLT'S  MARCH 

Executive  Departments  of  this  Government,  together 
with  all  legislators,  all  judges  and  magistrates,  and  all 
other  persons  exercising  authority  in  the  land,  whether 
civil,  military,  or  naval,  and  all  soldiers,  seamen,  and 
marines  in  the  National  service,  and  all  the  other  loyal 
and  law-abiding  people  of  the  United  States,  to  assemble 
in  their  preferred  places  of  public  worship  on  that  day, 
and  there  and  then  to  render  to  the  Almighty  and  Merci- 
ful Ruler  of  the  universe  such  homages  and  such  confes- 
sions, and  to  offer  to  Him  such  supplications  as  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  have  in  their  aforesaid 
resolution  so  solemnly,  so  earnestly,  and  so  reverently 
recommended. 

In  testimony  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and 
caused  the  seal  of  the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 

Done  at  the  city  of  Washington  this  seventh  day  of 
July,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  sixty-four,  and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United 
States  the  eighty-ninth. 

(L.  S.)  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 

By  the  President :  WILLIAM  H.  SEWARD, 

Secretary  of  State. 

The  supplications  of  the  people,  offered  to  the  Supreme 
Ruler  of  the  world :  That  the  Civil  War  might  be  sup- 
pressed and  the  supremacy  of  the  Constitution  and  lawTs 
of  the  United  States  might  be  established  throughout 
all  the  States ;  that  we  might  not  be  destroyed  as  a  people, 
among  the  family  of  nations;  and  that  the  effusion  of 
blood  might  be  stayed,  and  unity  and  fraternity  restored 
throughout  our  borders,  were  answered. 

Within  nine  months  the  channel  of  peace  was  opened 
at  Appomattox,  on  April  9,  1865,  by  the  illustrious  chief- 
tains Grant  and  Lee;  and  the  example  of  their  armies 
was  soon  followed  by  the  other  contending  forces.  "The 
raging  war  that  had  divided  the  country  had  lulled,  and 
private  grief  was  hushed  by  the  grandeur  of  the  result." 

5  [65] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

The  stupendous  struggle  from  1861  to  1865  involved, 
from  first  to  last,  Union  and  Confederate  forces  num- 
bering 3,700,000  and  witnessed  the  wealth  of  the  country 
scattered  like  sand,  and  the  blood  of  the  country  lavished 
like  water.  Further  contributions  Avere  not  longer  to  be 
made  to  distorted  features,  ghastly  ruins,  and  "the  hidden 
anguish  in  the  harvests  of  horror  breathing  from  the 
silent  ground."  The  blood  of  the  land  was  to  course 
anew — to  mark  the  activities  of  life;  and,  as  a  reward,  the 
now  inseparably  united  North  and  South  are  harvesting 
the  unbounded  blessings  of  peace,  with  unsurpassed  pros- 
perity and  greatness. 

Let  us  have  peace! 


[661 


Fort  Stevens,  Where  Lincoln  Was  Under  Fire. 


Gen.  Horatio  G.   Wright. 


BY  WILLIAM   VAN   ZANDT    COX 

Author  of  the  Defenses  of  Washington 

IIREE  times  during  the  Civil 
War  Washington  was  in  grave 
peril  and  three  times  it  was 
saved  to  the  Union. 

The  first  was  at  the  beginning 
of  hostilities  when  the  militia  of 
the  District  of  Columbia  came 
to  the  rescue  of  the  small  body 
of  marines  and  artillery,  before 
the  arrival  in  the  Capital  of  the 
troops  from  Pennsylvania,  Mas- 
sachusetts, New  York,  and  other  Northern  States.  The 
second  was  immediately  after  the  battle  of  Bull  Run 
(July  21,  1861),  when  it  could  have  been  captured  by 
the  Confederates  had  they  not  been  more  demoralized 
by  victory  than  the  Federals  by  defeat.  The  third  was 
in  July,  1864,  when  General  Early  made  his  campaign 
against  Washington. 

The  important  battle  at  Monocacy,  Maryland,  on 
July  9,  1864,  was  the  first  day's  fight  to  save  the  Nation's 
Capital,  and  General  Early's  army  was  victorious.  So 
unexpected  and  so-  rapid  were  the  Confederate  general's 
movements  that  he  was  in  sight  of  the  dome  of  the  Capi- 
tol before  his  cleverly  conceived  plans  were  fully  realized. 
When  the  roar  of  Early's  guns  was  heard  and  the  tele- 
graph announced  that  he  had  defeated  Lew  Wallace  at 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

Monocacy  Bridge,  the  heart  of  the  North  quivered  with 
emotion  as  it  contemplated  the  defenselessness  of  Wash- 
ington, stripped  of  men  and  guns  for  the  campaign 
against  Richmond. 

This  daring  campaign  against  Washington  and  its 
skillful  execution  caused  a  rude  awakening  in  the  North, 
impatiently  waiting  for  Grant  to  take  Richmond.  Both 
Washington  and  Baltimore  were  in  a  state  of  panic,  while 
gold  went  up  to  the  highest  point.  The  capture  of  Wash- 
ington meant  diplomatic  complications  of  a  most  serious 
nature,  with  foreign  powers  awaiting  only  for  a  plausible 
pretext  for  dismemberment.  Never  was  a  prize  more 
tempting  to  the  Confederates.  Never  was  there  a  time 
when  more  was  at  stake  for  the  Union. 

"Wallace  defeated  at  Monocacy  after  a  stubborn  fight," 
were  the  words  contained  in  the  message  received  at  the 
War  Department, 'but  that  stubborn  fight  was  as  valuable 
as  a  victory  for  the  Union,  for  a  day's  time  had  been 
gained,  so  necessary  for  the  safety  of  the  Capital. 

During  those  exciting  days  there  was  one  calm  man, 
and  he  was  none  other  than  President  Lincoln.  He  was 
then  living  at  the  Soldiers'  Home,  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
from  Fort  Stevens,  and  in  addition  to  his  herculean 
duties  he  daily  visited  the  camps,  forts,  and  hospitals. 
He  seemed  devoid  of  fear  and  his  chief  concern  was  at 
that  time  the  capture  of  Early's  army.  His  telegram  to 
Governor  Swann  of  Maryland  is  characteristic :  "Let  us 
be  vigilant  but  keep  cool." 

General  C.  C.  Augur  was  in  command  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Washington.  General  Alexander  McD.  McCook 
had  charge  of  the  northern  line  of  troops  and  fortifica- 
tions. The  latter  was  ordered  to  establish  a  camp  on 
Piney  Branch  creek,  but  the  news  from  the  front  was  so 
disquieting  that  he  proceeded  to  Fort  Stevens,  five  miles 

[68] 


FORT  STEVENS,  AVHERE  LINCOLN  WAS  UNDER  FIRE 

north  of  Pennsylvania  Avenue  on  the  Seventh  Street 
pike,  and  took  command  of  a  line  he  had  never  before 


Kvery  man  was  utilized  for  defense.  The  hospitals 
\\rre  drawn  on  for  convalescents,  the  Quartermaster's 
Department  for  employes,  the  National  Guard  of  Ohio, 
the  District  of  Columbia  militia,  the  Veteran  Reserves, 
and  the  few  unassigned  regular  detachments  and  un- 
mounted cavalry,  sailors,  firemen,  and  citizens  were  in 
the  trenches  and  on  picket  line. 

When  General  Grant  realized  the  gravity  of  the  situa- 
tion, and  that  Hunter  could  render  no  assistance,  he  first 
thought  of  returning  from  Petersburg  to  Washington  to 
take  command  in  person.  On  reflection,  however,  he 
decided  to  send  the  Sixth  Corps,  commanded  by  General 
Horatio  G.  Wright. 

The  Twenty-fifth  New  York  Cavalry  which  left  City 
Point,  Virginia,  on  July  7,  seems  to  have  been  the  first 
regiment  to  reach  Washington  from  the  James  and  went 
into  camp  about  midnight  of  July  10,  near  Fort  Stevens. 
On  the  same  day  the  First  and  Second  Divisions  of  the 
Sixth  Corps  left  City  Point  for  Washington.  A  few 
hours  later,  General  W.  H.  Emory,  with  a  part  of  the 
Nineteenth  Corps,  just  returned  from  New  Orleans  to 
join  Grant,  left  Fortress  Monroe  for  Washington  with- 
out disembarking  from  their  ocean  transports. 

What  a  picture!  Early  with  his  fighting  legions  ad- 
vancing on  the  Capital  from  the  North,  while  fleets  bear- 
ing the  veterans  of  the  Sixth  and  Nineteenth  Corps  were 
on  their  way  from  the  James  River  and  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  to  save  the  Capital  they  loved  so  well.  North  and 
South  looked  on  with  bated  breath  and  wondered  which, 
in  this  race  of  armies,  would  reach  Washington  first. 

On  the  morning  of  July  11,  General  Early  left  his 

[69] 


WASHINGTON    DtrftlNG    WAR    TIME 

camp  near  Rockville,  McCausland  taking  the  George- 
town pike;  the  infantry  preceded  and  flanked  by  cavalry 
taking  the  Seventh  Street  pike.  Major  Frye,  of  Lowell's 
cavalry,  met  the  enemy's  cavalry  skirmishers  a  short  dis- 
tance beyond  the  picket  line  near  the  old  Stone  Tavern 
before  noon  and  forced  them  back  on  their  reserves.  He, 
in  turn,  was  driven  back  by  the  enemy,  who  fired  a  few 
shots  from  a  battery  of  light  artillery. 

About  11  o'clock,  the  signal  officer,  at  Fort  Reno, 
observed  clouds  of  dust  and  army  wagons  moving  up  the 
Seventh  Street  pike.  About  the  same  time  a  message 
from  Captain  Berry,  Eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  said  that 
the  enemy  with  artillery,  cavalry,  and  infantry  was  mov- 
ing in  the  direction  of  Silver  Spring.  General  McCook 
ordered  the  picket  line  to  contest  the  ground  and  to  retire 
slowly  on  approach  of  the  enemy  until  within  range  of 
the  guns  of  Forts  Stevens,  Slocum,  and  DeRussy.* 

Shortly  after  noon,  riding  in  advance  with  Rodes, 
whose  division,  consisting  of  Given's  and  Cox's  North 
Carolinians,  Crook's  Georgians,  and  Battle's  Alabamians, 
in  the  van,  General  Early  came,  as  he  says,  in  full  view 
of  Fort  Stevens,  and  found  it  feebly  manned,  as  had  been 
reported  to  him.  Smith,  of  Imboden's  Cavalry,  accord- 
ing to  Early,  drove  a  small  body  of  Union  cavalry  before 
him  into  the  works. 

No  time  could  be  lost,  and  he  ordered  the  tired  and 
dusty  veterans  to  move  forward;  but  before  his  order 
could  be  executed,  to  his  everlasting  regret,  he  saw  trained 
and  disciplined  troops  move  out  of  the  works,  deploy,  and 
form  a  skirmish  line. 

Undismayed  and  undaunted,  the  tireless  Early  and  his 
brave  men  continued  to  advance,  but  with  greater  caution 

•William  E.  Leach,  Co.  K,  One  Hundred  and  Fiftieth  Ohio,  was 
the  first  man  wounded  on  picket  duty  and  died  shortly  afterwards. 
See  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Sec.  1,  Vol.  37,  p.  245. 

[TO] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

than  before.  It  was  too  late !  The  hopes  and  ambitions 
of  only  an  hour  ago  could  never  be  realized.  Washington 
was  saved  to  the  Union !  The  Sixth  Corps  had  arrived ! 
Never  was  there  a  more  opportune  movement,  never  was 
there  a  more  welcome  arrival.  Down  the  historic  James, 
up  the  historic  Potomac,  came  the  Sixth  Corps.  Mr. 
Lincoln  met  them  at  the  Seventh  Street  Wharf  and  well 
they  cheered  him !  With  what  alacrity  both  officers  and 
men  marched  to  reinforce  the  brave  defenders  on  the 
firing  line!  Dr.  George  Stevens,  the  historian  of  the 
Sixth  Army  Corps,  says : 

We  marched  up  Seventh  Street,  meeting  on  our  way 
many  old  friends,  and  hearing  people  who  crowded  on  the 
sidewalks,  exclaiming,  "It  is  the  old  Sixth  Corps" — 
"These  men  are  the  men  who  took  Mayre's  Heights" — 
"The  danger  is  over  now."  Washington,  an  hour  before, 
was  in  a  panic;  but  as  the  people  saw  the  veterans  wear- 
ing the  badge  of  the  Greek  cross  marching  through  their 
streets,  the  excitement  subsided  and  confidence  prevailed. 

Thus  we  made  our  way  to  the  north  of  the  city,  the 
sound  of  cannonading  in  our  front  stimulating  and  has- 
tening the  steps  of  the  men. 

Families  with  a  few  of  their  choicest  articles  of  house- 
hold furniture  loaded  into  wagons,  were  hastening  to  the 
city,  reporting  that  their  houses  were  burned,  or  that  they 
had  made  their  escape,  leaving  the  greater  part  of  their 
goods  to  the  mercy  of  the  Rebel.  General  Frank  Wheaton 
in  his  report  says : 

While  on  the  march  to  Fort  Stevens,  was  passed  by 
General  Wright,  and  received  his  verbal  instructions  to 
mass  near  Crystal  Spring  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort 
Stevens,  where  we  arrived  at  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.* 

At  5  P.  M.,  the  force  outside  of  Fort  Stevens,  consisting 
of  portions  of  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  War  Depart- 
ment clerks,  and  citizen  volunteers,  was  driven  in  toward 


•At   4   p.   m.,   General   Wright  wired   General   Augur   from    Fort 
Stevens:     The  head  of  my  column  has  nearly  reached  the  front. 


[72] 


FORT  STEVENS,  WHERE  LINCOLN  WAS  UNDER  FIRE 

the  fort  by  a  portion  of  the  enemy's  forces  under  Early. 
At  the  same  time  I  was  ordered  to  move  500  men  of  my 
brigade  out  to  recover  the  line  held  in  the  afternoon.  This 
was  successfully  accomplished  before  7  o'clock  by  the 
Ninety-eighth  Pennsylvania  Veteran  Volunteers,  Col.  J. 
F.  Bailler;  the  One  Hundred  and  Second  Pennsylvania 
Veteran  Volunteers,  Major  Thomas  McLaughlin;  and  the 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-ninth  Pennsylvania  Volunteers, 
Captain  James  McGregor,  which  deployed  as  skirmishers 
and  drove  the  enemy's  advance  back  to  their  main  lines. 
The  position  was  strengthened  at  dark  by  the  Ninety- 
third  Pennsylvania  Veteran  Volunteers,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  J.  S.  Long,  and  the  Sixty-second  New  York -Vet- 
eran Volunteers,  Lieutenant-Colonel  T.  B.  Hamilton,  and 
extended  from  a  point  opposite  the  center  of  the  line 
between  Forts  Stevens  and  Reno  to  the  west  and  a  point 
opposite  Fort  Slocum  on  the  east,  a  distance  of  about 
two  miles.  Skirmishing  continued  through  the  night. 
In  vain  all  the  afternoon  of  July  11  Early  tried  to  find 

a  weak  spot  in  the  lines,  but  he  was  met  everywhere  by 
the  fire  of  fort  guns  and  musketry.  The  works  he  re- 
ported exceedingly  strong,  consisting  of  what  appeared 
to  be  inclosed  forts  for  heavy  artillery,  with  a  tier  of 
lower  works  in  front  of  each,  pierced  for  an  immense 
number  of  guns,  the  whole  being  connected  by  curtains, 
with  ditches  in  front  and  strengthened  by  palisades  and 
abattis.  The  timber  had  been  felled  within  cannon  range 
all  around  and  left  on  the  ground,  making  a  formidable 
obstacle,  and  every  possible  approach  was  raked  by  artil- 
lery. On  the  right  was  Rock  Creek,  running  through  a 
deep  ravine,  which  had  been  rendered  impassable  by  the 
felling  of  timber  on  each  side,  and  beyond  were  the  works 
on  the  Georgetown  pike,  which  had  been  reported  to  be 
the  strongest  of  all.  On  the  left  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach  the  works  appeared  to  be  of  the  same  impregnable 
character. 

[73] 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

Early  then  held  a  consultation  with  his  generals, 
Breckinridge,  Kodes,  Ramseur,  and  Gordon,  pointing  out 
the  necessity  of  action  before  the  fords  and  mountain 
passes  were  closed  against  them,  and  in  concluding,  he 
announced  his  purpose  of  making  an  assault  at  daylight. 
When  on  examining  the  works  on  the  morning  of  July 
12,  General  Early  saw  the  parapets  lined  with  troops,* 
he  says  that  he  then  determined  to  abandon  the  idea  of 
capturing  Washington. 

A  distinguished  writer  who  was  at  Brightwood  during 
the  battle  says: 

July  12  came  bright  and  glorious.  The  First  Brigade 
of  our  Second  Division  and  our  sharpshooters  were  on 
the  picket  in  front  of  Fort  Stevens,  from  the  parapet  of 
which  could  be  seen  the  lines  of  Rebel  skirmishers,  from 
whose  rifles  the  white  puffs  of  smoke  rose  as  they  dis- 
charged their  pieces  at  our  pickets.  The  valley  beyond 
presented  a  scene  of  surpassing  loveliness,  with  the  rich 
green  meadows,  its  fields  of  waving  corn,  its  orchards 
and  its  groves. 

The  principal  force  of  the  enemy  seemed  to  be  in  front 
of  Fort  Stevens;  there  it  was  determined  to  give  them 
battle. 

About  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  General  Wright 
ordered  General  Wheaton  to  drive  back  the  Confederate 
skirmish  line  and  occupy  the  wooded  points  near  the  road, 
which,  being  so  near  our  intrenchments,  gave  the  enemy 
advantage  of  position;  thereupon,  Colonel  Bidwell  was 
instructed  to  have  the  Third  Brigade  move  outside  of  the 
fort  and  form,  under  cover  of  a  ravine  and  woods  (south- 
east of  Battle  Ground  Cemetery)  in  two  lines  directly  in 
the  rear  of  the  First  Brigade,  on  the  skirmish  line. 
Colonel  Bidwell  was  also  directed  to  select  three  of  his 
best  regiments  to  assist  in  the  assault,  the  remaining 


•It  is  said  that  General  Meigs  instructed  his  quartermaster's 
soldiers  to  make  themselves  as  conspicuous  as  possible  on  the 
parapets. 

[74] 


FORT  STEVENS,  WHERE  LINCOLN  WAS  UNDER  FIRE 

portion  of  the  brigade  to  be  held  to  support  the  general 
movement. 

According  to  General  Wheaton:  The  Seventh  Maine, 
the  Forty-third  New  York,  and  Forty-ninth  New  York 
were  skillfully  placed  in  position  near  the  skirmish  line 
iinder  the  direction  of  Colonel  Bidwell  without  the  enemy 
discovering  the  movement. 

A  preconcerted  signal  was  made  by  a  staff  officer,  from 
Fort  Stevens,  when  these  regiments  were  in  position,  at 
which  time  the  batteries  from  Forts  Stevens  and  Slocum 
opened  fire  upon  certain  points,  strongly  held  by  the 
enemy.  The  assaulting  regiments  then  dashed  forward, 
surprising  and  hotly  engaging  the  enemy,  who  was  found 
to  be  much  stronger  than  supposed.  It  became  necessary 
to  deploy  immediately  the  three  remaining  regiments — 
the  Seventy-seventh  New  York,  the  Twenty-second  New 
York,  and  the  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania  Volunteers; — Bid- 
well's  Brigade,  on  the  right  of  those  he  had  already  in 
the  action,  and  the  picket  reserve  of  150  men  from  the 
One  Hundred  and  Second  Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  and 
a  detachment  of  80  men  from  the  Vermont  Brigade  to 
support  the  skirmish  line  immediately  on  the  right  and 
left  of  the  pike.  The  enemy's  stubborn  resistance  showed 
that  a  farther  advance  than  already  made  would  require 
more  troops,  and  two  regiments  were  sent  for.  Before 
their  arrival,  however,  (the  Thirty-seventh  Massachusetts 
Volunteers  and  Second  Khode  Island),  an  aide-de-camp 
from  General  Wright  directed  me  not  to  attempt  more 
than  holding  the  position  gained,  as  the  object  of  the 
attack  had  been  accomplished  and  the  important  points 
captured  and  held. 

This  whole  attack  was  as  gallant  as  it  was  successful, 
and  the  troops  never  evinced  more  energy  or  determina- 
tion. The  losses  were  very  severe,  the  brave  Colonel 
Bidwell  losing  many  of  his  most  valuable  regimental 
commanders.  The  last  shot  was  fired  about  10  o'clock 
and  the  remainder  of  the  night  was  occupied  in  strength- 
ening the  position,  burying  the  dead,  caring  for  the 
wounded,  and  relieving  the  skirmish  line  which  had  been 
two  days  in  front  constantly  under  fire — by  troops  of  the 
Second  Vermont  Brigade. 

[751 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

Dr.  Stevens  describes  the  attack  in  these  words: 

The  heavy  ordnance  in  the  fort  sent  volley  after  voile}7 
of  thirty-two  pound  shells  howling  over  the  heads  of  our 
men  into  the  midst  of  the  Rebels,  and  through  the  [Car- 
berry]  house  where  so  many  of  them  had  found  shelter, 
and  then  at  the  command  of  "Sedgwick's  Man  of  Iron," 
the  brave  fellows  started  eagerly  forward.  They  reached 
and  passed  the  skirmishers,  and  the  white  puffs  of  smoke 
and  the  sharp  cracks  of  their  rifles  became  more  and  more 


Confederate  Assault  on  the  Works  Near  Washington,  July  12,  1864. 


frequent;  first  the  rattle  of  an  active  skirmish  and  then 
the  continuous  roar  of  a  musketry  battle. 

In  magnificent  order  and  with  light  steps  they  ran 
forward  up  the  ascent,  through  the  orchard,  through  the 
little  grove  on  the  right,  over  the  fence  rail,  up  to  the 
road  making  straight  for  the  objective  point,  the  frame 
house  'Carberry'  in  front.  The  Rebels  at  first  stood  their 

[TC] 


FORT  STEVENS,  WHERE  LINCOLN  WAS  UNDER  FIRE 

ground,  then  gave  way  before  the  impetuous  charge,  and 
though  forced  to  seek  safety  in  flight,  turned  and  poured 
their  volle3rs  into  the  ranks  of  the  pursuers.  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Johnson,  commanding  the  Forty-ninth  New 
York,  a  brave  man,  who  had  never  shrunk  from  danger, 
and  who  had  shared  all  the  various  fortunes  of  the 
Brigade  since  its  organization,  fell  mortally  wounded. 
Colonel  Vischer  of  the  Forty-third  New  York,  who  had 
but  lately  succeeded  the  beloved  Wilson,  was  killed. 
Major  James  P.  Jones,  commanding  the  Seventh  Maine, 
was  also  among  the  slain ;  and  Major  Crosby,  command- 
ing the  Sixty-first  Pennsylvania,  who  had  just  recovered 
from  a  bad  wound  which  he  had  received  in  the  Wilder- 
ness, was  taken  to  the  hospital,  where  the  surgeon  removed 
his  left  arm  from  the  shoulder.  Colonel  W.  B.  French, 
of  the  Seventy-seventh  New  York,  was  injured.  The 
commanding  officer  of  every  regiment  in  the  Brigade  was 
either  killed  or  wounded. 

The  fight  had  lasted  but  a  few  minutes,  when  the 
stream  of  bleeding,  mangled  ones  began  to  come  to  the 
rear.  Men  leaning  upon  the  shoulders  of  comrades,  or 
borne  painfully  on  stretchers,  the  pallor  of  their  counte- 
nances rendered  more  ghastly  by  the  thick  dust  which 
settled  upon  them,  were  brought  into  the  hospitals  by 
scores,  where  the  medical  officers,  ever  active  in  adminis- 
tering relief  to  their  companions,  were  hard  at  work 
binding  up  wounds,  administering  stimulants,  coffee,  and 
food,  or  resorting  to  the  hard  necessity  of  amputation. 

At  the  summit  of  the  ascent,  the  Confederates  were 
strengthened  by  their  second  line  of  battle,  and  here  they 
made  a  stout  resistance;  but  even  this  position  they  were 
forced  to  abandon  in  haste;  and  as  darkness  closed  in 
upon  the  scene  our  men  were  left  as  victors  in  possession 
of  the  ground,  lately  occupied  by  the  Rebels,  having 
driven  their  adversaries  more  than  a  mile. 

The  Vermont  Brigade  now  came  to  the  relief  of  the 
boys  who  had  so  gallantly  won  the  field,  and  the  Third 
Brigade  returned  at  midnight  to  the  bivouac  it  had  left 
in  the  morning.  But  not  all  returned.  Many  of  those 
brave  men  who  went  with  such  alacrity  into  the  battle 
had  fallen  to  rise  no  more,  in  the  orchard,  in  the  road, 


WASHINGTON    DURING    WAR    TIME 

about  the  frame  house,  and  upon  the  summit  where  the 
Rebels  had  made  so  determined  a  resistance,  their  forms 
were  stretched  upon  the  green  sward  and  upon  the  dusty 
road,  stiff  and  cold.  Many  more  had  come  to  the  hospital 
severely  injured,  maimed  for  life,  or  mortally  wounded. 

The  little  brigade,  numbering  only  a  thousand  men 
when  it  went  into  action,  had  lost  two  hundred  and  fifty 
of  its  number.  We  gathered  our  dead  comrades  from  the 
field  where  they  had  fallen  and  gave  them  the  rude  burial 
of  the  soldier  on  the  common  near  Fort  Stevens.  No 
officer  of  state,  no  lady  of  wealth,  no  citizen  of  Washing- 
ton was  there,  but  we  laid  them  in  their  graves  within 
sight  of  the  Capitol,  without  coffins,  with  only  their 
gory  garments  and  their  blankets  around  them.  With 
the  rude  tenderness  of  soldiers,  we  covered  them  in  the 
earth,  and  marked  their  names  with  our  pencils  on  the 
little  headboards  of  pine,  and  turned  sadly  away  to  other 
scenes. 

On  an  eminence  near  the  Confederate  advance  was 
John  C.  Breckinridge,  the  candidate  receiving  the  votes 
of  the  seceding  States  for  President,  expecting  to  enter 
the  Capital  with  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia. 

On  the  parapet  of  Fort  Stevens,  by  the  side  of  General 
Wright,  amid  the  whizzing  bullets,  stood  the  successful 
candidate  in  that  great  political  struggle,  Abraham  Lin- 
coln, watching  with  that  "grave  and  pensive  counte- 
nance," the  progress  of  the  battle. 

A  few  years  ago,  in  company  with  the  old  commander 
of  the  Sixth  Corps,  I  stood  upon  that  same  parapet. 
After  contemplating  the  surroundings  General  Wright 
said: 

Here  on  the  top  of  this  parapet  between  this  old  em- 
brasure and  that,  is  the  place  where  President  Lincoln 
stood  witnessing  the  fight;  there,  by  his  side,  a  surgeon 
was  wounded  by  a  minie  ball. 

I  entreated  the  President  not  to  expose  his  life  to  the 

[78] 


FORT  STEVENS,  WHERE  LINCOLN  WAS  UNDER  FIRE 

bullets  of  the  enemy;  but  he  seemed  oblivious  to  his  sur- 
roundings; finally,  when  I  found  that  my  entreaties 
failed  to  make  any  impression  on  him,  I  said,  "Mr.  Presi- 
dent, I  know  you  are  commander  of  the  armies  of  the 
United  States,  but  I  am  in  command  here,  and  as  you  are 
not  safe  where  you  are  standing,  I  order  you  to  come 
down."  Mr.  Lincoln  looked  at  me  and  smiled,  and  then, 
more  in  consideration  of  my  earnestness  than  from  inclin- 
ation, stepped  down  and  took  position  behind  the  parapet. 
Even  then  he  would  persist  in  standing  up  and  exposing 
his  tall  form. 

That  old  parapet,  identified  by  General  Horatio  G. 
Wright,  stands  today,  and  for  history's  sake  should  be 
preserved  in  memory  of  Lincoln  as  a  tribute  to  the  brav- 
ery of  the  American  soldier — a  united  North  and  South. 


[79] 


Death  of  President  Lincoln. 


BY  THOMAS  McCURDY  VINCENT 

Brigadier  General,  by  brevet,  U.  £.  Army 

HE  sad  memories  of  the 
night  of  April  14  and  15, 
1865,  have  prevented  me 
from  entering  this  build- 
ing,t  until  this  evening. 
Now,  in  the  presence  of 
this  honorable  Associa- 
tion I  find  the  scene 
greatly  changed.  The 
dreadful  gloom  has  disap- 
peared, for  may  it  not  be 
said,  that  this  commemor- 
ative meeting  is  more  in 
connection  with  the  life  of 
a  great  man  than  the  occasion  of  his  death.  He  who  had 
consummated  a  new  birth  of  freedom  for  the  Nation,  was 
himself  born  to  a  new  life.  A  melodious  birth  song  is 
better  suited  than  a  death  song  in  connection  with  this 
anniversary  of  the  night  when  a  great  Luminary  of 
History,  with  its  eternal  effulgence,  was  transferred  to  a 
superior  realm. 

I  had  opportunities  to  study  Abraham  Lincoln.     He 
frequently  visited  my  office,  in  the  old  War  Department 


General  T.  M.   Vincent. 


*From  an  address  by  General  Vincent  before  the  Memorial 
Association  of  the  District  of  Columbia  delivered  Saturday,  April 
14,  1894,  in  commemoration  of  President  Lincoln's  death  in  the 
house  in  which  he  died,  516  Tenth  Street,  N.  W. 

tThe  objects  and  officers  of  this  Association  are  given  on  page  93. 


[80] 


THE   DEATH   OF   PRESIDENT  LINCOLN 

building,  in  order  to  gain  information  relative  to  the 
armies  of  the  Union.  He  would  appear  there,  unat- 
tended, at  an  hour  least  subject  to  interruption,  and  seat- 
ing himself,  secure  the  information  he  desired.  Then, 
if  all  things  promised  well,  in  a  cheerful  manner  he  would 
converse  brightly.  On  these  occasions  I  found  his  great 
kind  heart,  marked  by  sad  earnestness,  going  out  to  all 
the  armies,  through  his  words  of  sympathy  for  the  troops 
during  their  battles  and  marches — not  alone  to  the  armies 
as  a  whole,  but  to  individuals  as  well. 

I  now  hold  in  my  hand  an  illustration  of  his  tender 
and  sympathetic  feelings  in  individual  cases. 

A  wayward  son,  through  his  dismissal  from  the  army, 
had  brought  deep  grief  to  his  father  who  appealed  for 
clemency.  The  case  was  fully  considered  with  an  adverse 
result,  when  the  father  presented  himself  to  the  Presi- 
dent in  the  hope  of  a  reversal  of  the  decision.  The 
President  could  not  take  favorable  action,  nor  had  he  the 
heart  to  turn  the  father  away  by  a  final  negative  reply. 
Accordingly  he  sent  me  the  following  note: 

I  have  promised  the  bearer  *  *  an  interview  with 
Major  Vincent.  Will  Major  Vincent  please  see  and  hear 
him. 

May  28,  1863.  A.  LINCOLN. 

I  explained  the  case  fully  to  the  father,  who  then,  in 
substance  said:  "I  now  know  the  attentive  consideration 
of  Mr.  Lincoln  in  the  midst  of  all  his  heavy  cares.  I  have 
his  kind  and  considerate  final  refusal  through  these 
papers.  He  could  not  have  done  otherwise;  may  God 
bless  him." 

But  above  his  interest  in  the  armies  and  his  knowledge 
of  them,  his  inspiration,  as  Commander-in-Chief,  was 
present  on  every  field,  to  organize  victory.  Through  his 

6  [81] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

efforts  battles  were  made  successful,  and  distinction  was 
made  to  crown  generals  and  others.  His  labors,  by  day 
and  by  night,  gave  luster  to  the  vast  armies,  which  from 
first  to  last  numbered  2,700,000  men,  entrusted  to  his 
command  by  his  devoted  countrymen.  Subsequent  to 
February,  1864,  an  Act  of  Congress  made  his  will  the 
authority  for  raising  troops,  a  delicate  and  mighty  power, 
under  which  the  volunteer  forces  were  soon  increased  to 
1,034,000,  the  largest  number  in  service  at  any  one  time. 
During  his  four  years  of  supreme  command,  the  earth 
shook  with  the  tramp  of  armies ;  events  crowded  rapidly  ; 
lurid  flame  of  battle  arose, — a  period,  as  has  been  truly 
said,  "of  subversion  and  revolution,  when  each  hour 
brought  a  new  responsibility"  to  the  great  Commander- 
in-  Chief. 

My  interviews  with  him  impressed  me  with  the  sublime 
simplicity  of  his  character,  and  the  marked  dignity  of  a 
noble  manhood.  Often  have  I  associated  with  him  the 
words :  "Whose  life  was  work,  whose  language  rife,  with 
rugged  maxims  hewn  from  life;  who  never  spoke  against 
a  foe." 

His  boyhood's  ascent  in  life  began  in  the  humble 
cabin,  as  he  "climbed  at  night  to  his  bed  of  leaves  in 
the  loft,  by  a  ladder  of  wooden  pegs  driven  into  the 
logs."  In  later  years  his  ascent  was  onward  and  upward, 
by  the  ladder  of  fame,  gaining  at  each  round,  the  esteem 
and  honor  of  his  countrymen. 

It  could  not  have  been  otherwise,  when  we  consider  his 
eminent  endowment  with  the  gifts  and  virtues  of  charity, 
humility,  meekness,  patience,  diligence,  wisdom,  pru- 
dence, justice,  and  fortitude. 

He  added  to  his  studies  amid  the  rugged  wilds  of 
nature.  "The  Declaration  of  Independence  was  his  com- 
pendium of  political  wisdom,  the  life  of  Washington  his 

[82] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

constant  study."  And  thus  endowed,  and  schooled,  "His 
scepter  was  as  the  bow  of  Ulysses,  which  could  not  bo 
drawn  by  a  weaker  hand.  He  stood  alone  like  a  beacon 
upon  a  waste,  or  a  rock  in  the  broad  ocean." 

He  who  said,  in  old  Independence  Hall,  that  he  had 
never  had  "a  feeling,  politically,  that  did  not  spring 
from  sentiments  embodied  in  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, which  gave  liberty  not  alone  to  the  people  of 
this  country,  but  to  the  world  in  all  future  time,"  and, 
that  if  the  country  could  not  be  saved  without  giving  up 
that  principle,  "he  would  rather  be  assassinated  on  the 
spot  than  surrender  it;"  he  who  traveled  in  the  dead  of 
night  prior  to  his  inauguration,  to  escape  assassination, 
was  cut  down  by  a  demoniac. 

But  while  the  assassin's  hand  removed  the  mortal  por- 
tion of  Lincoln  from  this  life,  it  could  not  and  did  not 
touch  the  beacon  light,  which  has  continued  its  eternal 
radiation  as  a  guide  for  all  peoples,  in  all  ages. 

On  April  14,  18G5,  I  had  returned  from  the  War 
Department  to  my  house  at  about  ten  o'clock  at  night  and 
very  soon  thereafter  was  informed  by  a  cousin  of  Mrs. 
Lincoln — Dr.  Lyman  Beecher  Todd,  of  Lexington,  Ky., 
— that  the  President  had  been  assassinated,  and  the  mem- 
bers of  his  cabinet  attacked.  I  at  once  hurried  to  the 
house  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  there  found  the 
family  greatly  alarmed  and  excited;  but  the  Secretary, 
just  prior  to  my  arrival,  had  started  for  Mr.  Seward's 
residence.  I  followed,  and  there  learned  that  he  had 
gone  to  the  scene  of  the  tragedy  on  Tenth  street;  on 
reaching  the  locality  I  found  him  in  this  house  to  which 
the  President  had  been  removed  from  Ford's  Theatre. 
I  remained  here  near  the  Secretary,  and  at  his  request, 
during  the  night.  He  was  greatly  saddened  and  referred 
to  the  change  of  scene  from  that  of  the  cabinet  meeting, 

[84] 


THE  DEATH   OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN 

a  few  hours  before,  at  which  General  Grant  was  present, 
when  the  state  of  the  country  and  the  prospect  of  a 
speedy  peace  were  discussed.  He  stated  that  the  President 
during  the  meeting  was  hopeful  and  very  cheerful,  and 
had  spoken  kindly  of  General  Lee  and  other  officers  of 
the  Confederacy.  Particularly  had  his  kindly  feelings 
gone  out  to  the  enlisted  men  of  the  Confederacy,  and 
during  the  entire  session  of  the  cabinet  his  manner  and 
words  manifested  emphatically  a  desire  to  restore  a  satis- 
factory peace  to  the  South,  through  all  due  regard  for 
her  vanquished  citizens.  Yet,  whilst  he  was  buoyant,  on 
that  Good  Friday,  in  his  advocacy  of  "Peace  on  earth  to 
men  of  good  will,"  he  seemed  depressed  at  times,  and 
had  referred  to  his  dream  of  the  previous  night,  which 
had  recurred  several  times  on  the  eve  of  some  important 
event — "a  vague  sense  of  floating — floating  away,  on  some 
vast  and  indistinct  expanse,  toward  an  unknown  shore." 

These  are  his  immortal  words  near  the  end  of  the  con- 
flict: "Let  us  finish  the  work  we  are  in,  to  bind  up  the 
Nation's  wounds,  to  care  for  him  who  shall  have  borne 
the  battle,  and  for  his  widow  and  orphans;  to  do  all, 
which  may  achieve  and  cherish,  a  just  and  lasting  peace, 
among  ourselves  and  with  all  nations."  So  beautiful  his 
marvelously  balanced  humanity,  so  broad  his  firmly  based 
charity. 

About  1 :30  o'clock  in  the  morning  it  was  fully  appar- 
ent that  the  President  was  then  dying  from  his  mortal 
wound,  and  that  it  was  not  probable  that  he  would  live 
through  the  night.  The  Secretary  then  informed  me  that 
it  would  be  necessary  to  stand  prepared  to  communicate 
the  President's  death  to  the  Vice-President,  and,  soon 
thereafter,  handed  me  the  rough  notes  of  the  formal 
notification  from  which  I  wrote  out  a  fair  copy,  and  held 
it  until  after  the  President's  death;  which  was  officially 

[85] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

announced  at  7:55  on  the  morning  of  April  15,  by  a 
telegram  from  the  Secretary  to  Major  General  Dix,  as 
follows : 

Abraham  Lincoln  died  this  morning  at  twenty-two 
minutes  after  7  o'clock. 

The  notification  to  the  Vice-President  was  duly  signed 
and  communicated,  as  recited  in  a  subsequent  telegram, 
as  follows: 

Official  notice  of  the  death  of  the  late  President, 
Abraham  Lincoln,  was  given  by  the  Heads  of  Depart- 
ments this  morning  to  Andrew  Johnson,  Vice-President, 
upon  whom  the  Constitution  devolved  the  office  of  Presi- 
dent. Mr.  Johnson,  upon  receiving  this  notice,  appeared 
before  the  Honorable  Salmon  P.  Chase,  Chief  Justice  of 
the  United  States,  and  assumed  its  duties  and  functions. 

The  inanimate  objects  in  this  building  cause  persons  to 
rise  vividly  before  me. 

That  bed,  whereon  the  illustrious  one  breathed  his  last ; 
that  sofa,  which  supported  the  dazed  and  grief-stricken 
widow;  that  table,  at  which  the  Chief  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  District  took  evidence  as  to  the 
assassin's  work,  and  another,  whereon  the  War  Minister 
penned  dispatches  to  convey  to  the  nation  information 
respecting  the  condition  of  the  dying  President ;  and  that 
table,  on  which  was  prepared  the  notification  to  the  Vice- 
President  that  the  man  "who  had  clung  fast  to  the  hand 
of  the  people  and  moved  calmly  through  the  gloom  of 
war  and  strife"  had  passed  away. 

Anguish  sat  on  every  countenance,  and  under  its  weight 
the  footfalls  of  historic  men,  in  passing  through  these 
rooms,  were  muffled,  and  all  voices  lowered  to  whispers. 
Marked  silence  was  without  this  building,  although  vast, 
densely  congregated  crowds,  with  suffering  hearts,  filled 

.      .  [86] 


THE  DEATH  OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN 

the  streets  centering  here.  Thus  was  evidenced  the  pro- 
found veneration,  and  sadness  of  feeling,  which  went  out 
to  the  departing  President. 

The  death-bed  scenes  were  harrowing  in  the  extreme. 
Surrounding  and  near  the  illustrious  one,  who  was  in- 
sensible from  the  first,  in  consequence  of  his  mortal  wound, 
from  which  his  life's  blood  was  oozing,  were  the  sobbing, 
grief-stricken  wife,  accompanied  by  her  young  son;  the 
fervent  minister ;  the  watchful  surgeon ;  all  the  members 
of  the  cabinet  save  Mr.  Seward,  and  others  in  civil  and 
military  circles.  As  the  sure  approach  of  death  was 
noticed,  the  deep  sad  gloom  increased,  and,  at  the  solemn 
moment,  it  seemed  that  it  had  extended  to  Heaven  to 
be  from  there  promulgated  back  to  Earth,  through  the 
agency  of  deep  sable  clouds.  The  attendant  drops  of  rain 
seemed  to  have  been  sent  to  mingle,  sorrowfully,  with  the 
tears  of  the  Nation. 

And,  when  the  skill  of  surgeons  and  all  other  earthly 
means  had  been  exhausted,  and  the  never-failing  claim 
of  death  had  been  asserted,  all  was  hushed  in  God's  great 
presence,  while  to  Him  was  offered  the  sympathetic  min- 
ister's final  prayer.  ''The  automatic  moaning  which  had 
continued  during  the  night  had  ceased ;  a  look  of  un- 
speakable peace  rested  upon  the  dead  President's  worn 
features." 

"Tenderly  heroic  the  life  had  been  all  through;"  and 
he  who  had  loved  his  country  so  well — he  "whose  deeds 
cast  a  luster  around  his  head,  to  testify  the  greatness  that 
has  embodied  itself  in  his  name" — was,  at  the  final  in- 
stant, sealed  for  preservation,  in  that  repository  of  abun- 
dance— the  love  of  his  countrymen. 

Soon  after  8  o'clock  the  devoted  War  Minister  had 
ordered  all  to  be  arranged  for  the  removal  of  the  body  to 
the  Executive  Mansion,  and  then  left  me  as  his  represen- 

[87] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

tative  until  after  the  transfer  should  take  place.  It  was 
about  this  time  that,  after  pressing  and  smoothing  the 
eyes  of  the  dead  President,  I  placed  coins  on  them  to 
close  them  for  a  last  long  slumber. 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States,  with  most  affection- 
ate form  and  state,  commemorated  Lincoln's  birth  on  its 
anniversary  day,  February  12,  1866.  In  closing  my  re- 
marks, I  may  well  quote  George  Bancroft's  fitting  words 
on  that  occasion: 

Where  in  the  history  of  nations  had  a  chief  magistrate 
possessed  more  sources  of  consolation  and  joy  than  Lin- 
coln ?  His  countrymen  had  shown  their  love  by  choosing 
him  to  a  second  term  of  service.  The  raging  war  that 
had  divided  the  country  had  lulled  and  private  grief  was 
hushed  by  the  grandeur  of  the  result.  The  nation  had 
its  new  birth  of  freedom,1  soon  to  be  secured  forever  by  an 
amendment  to  the  Constitution.  His  persistent  gentleness 
had  conquered  for  him  a  kindlier  feeling  on  the  part  of 
the  South.  His  scoffers  among  the  grandees  of  Europe 
began  to  do  him  honor.  The  laboring  classes  everywhere 
saw  in  his  advancement  their  own.  All  peoples  sent  him 
their  benedictions.  And  at  this  moment  of  the  height 
of  fame,  to  which  his  humility  and  modesty  added 
charms,  he  fell  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin ;  and  the  only 
triumph  awarded  him  was  the  march  to  the  grave.  *  *  * 

Not  in  vain  has  Lincoln  lived,  for  he  has  helped  to 
make  this  Republic  an  example  of  Justice,  with  no  caste 
but  the  caste  of  humanity.  *  *  *  The  heroes  who  led  our 
armies  and  ships  into  battle  and  fell  in  the  service,  *  *  * 
did  not  die  in  vain;  they  and  the  myriads  of  nameless 
martyrs,  and  he,  the  chief  martyr,  gave  up  their  lives 
willingly  "that  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people, 
and  for  the  people,  shall  not  perish  from  the  earth." 

Monuments  of  marble  and  granite  have  been  erected  to 
his  memory;  "but  he  needs  no  chiseled  stone,  no  storied 
urn,  no  marble  bust,  to  perpetuate  his  fame." 

[88] 


THE  DEATH  OF  PRESIDENT  LINCOLN 

THE     MEMORIAL     ASSOCIATION     OF     THE     DISTRICT     OF 
COLUMBIA. 

Incorporated  Under  the  Laws  of  the  District,  March  18,   1892. 

This  Association  has  been  organized  for  the  threefold  purpose — 

1.  Of  preserving  the  most  noteworthy  houses  at  the  Capital  that 
have  been  made  historic  by  the  residence  of  the  nation's  greatest 
men. 

2.  Of  suitably  marking,  by  tablets  or  otherwise,  the  houses  and 
places  throughout  the  city  of  chief  interest  to  our  own  residents 
and  to  the  multitudes  of  Americans  and  foreigners  who  annuallly 
visit  the  Capital. 

3.  Of  thus  cultivating  that  historic  spirit  and  that  reverence  for 
the  memories   of  the   founders  and  leaders  of  the  Republic  upon 
which  an  intelligent  and  abiding  patriotism  so  largely  depends. 

Officers  of  the  Association. 

Melville  \V.  Fuller,   President.         Myron  M.  Parker,  Secretary. 
Teunis  S.  Hamlin,  Vice-President.  James  E.  Fitch,  Treasurer. 

Members  of  the  Association, 
Appointed  by  the  President  of  the  United  States,  the  President  of 

the  Senate,  and  the  Speaker  of  the  House. 
Melville  W.   Fuller.  A.   R.   Spofford. 

John  M.  Schofleld.  John   Hay. 

John  W.  Foster.  J.  W.  Douglass. 

B.  H.  Warder.  Myron  M.  Parker. 

S.  P.  Langley.  Gardiner  G.  Hubbard. 

A.  B.  Hagner.  W.  D.  Davidge. 

J.  C.  Bancroft  Davis.  S.  R.   Franklin. 

Walter  S.  Cox.  Teunis  S.  Hamlin. 

S.  H.   Kauffmann.  Charles  C.  Glover. 

And  we  especially  wish  to  purchase  the  house  on  Tenth  Street 
in  which  President  Lincoln  died.  It  is  the  only  building  at  the 
Capital  distinctly  associated  with  him.  We  wish  to  restore  it  to 
the  condition  in  which  it  then  was,  both  externally  and  internally; 
to  gather  in  it  such  mementoes  of  Mr.  Lincoln  as  can  be  procured, 
and  to  make  it  a  perpetual  shrine  of  patriotic  pilgrimage  for  the 
millions  that  venerate  his  memory. 

The  title  to  this  and  to  any  other  historic  houses  or  places 
preserved  by  the  labors  of  the  Association  will,  by  our  charter, 
vest  in  the  United  States,  and  remain  under  the  control  and  man- 
agement of  the  Association  at  the  pleasure  of  the  Congress. 

Washington,  D.  C., 

1st  May,  1893. 


[89] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

In  accordance  with  an  Act  of  Congress  passed  on  June  11,  1896, 
there  was  appropriated  for  the  "purchase  of  the  house  on  Tenth 
Street,  Northwest,  between  E  and  F  streets,  in  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington where  Abraham  Lincoln  died,  thirty  thousand  dollars,  or 
so  much  thereof  as  may  be  necessary;  for  repairs  of  said  building, 
after  purchase,  one  thousand  dollars;  in  all,  thirty-one  thousand 
dollars."  In  consequence  of  this  Act,  this  historical  residence 
became  the  property  of  the  United  States.  In  this  house  there 
are  now  more  than  two  hundred  portraits  of  Lincoln,  and  thou- 
sands of  portraits  and  pictures  illustrating  events  pertaining  to 
his  career. 

On  March  3,  1899,  there  was  a  further  appropriation  made  "for 
repairing  the  house  in  which  Abraham  Lincoln  died,  being  the 
property  of  the  United'  States,  three  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
thirty-three  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  the  same  to  be  expended  under 
the  direction  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers." 


View  of  the  House  in   Which  Lincoln  Died. 


[90] 


The  Grand  Review. 


General  H.   W.   Halleck. 


BY  JOHN  MCELROY 

Senior  Vice  Commander,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 

HIS  strifeful  old  world  has 
seen  many  imposing  military 
pageants  since  first  the  sword 
began  to  devour,  by  way  of 
saying  the  last  word  in  dis- 
putes. But  never,  not  even 

In  the  glory  that  was  Greece, 
And  the  grandeur  that  was  Rome, 

not  even  when  Napoleon 
marched  his  eagle-bearing  le- 
gions back  to  Paris  from  the 
wreck  of  empires  and  the  de- 
struction of  dynasties,  did 
the  hours  keep  pace  with  the  march  of  so  mighty  a  tor- 
rent of  warlike  power  as  swept  in  unbroken  tide  along 
Pennsylvania  Avenue  for  two  wide-arching  May  days 
of  1865. 

In  numbers  it  was  bewildering;  in  history,  startling; 
in  character,  overwhelming. 

Its  banners  showed  the  scars  of  two  thousand  battle- 
fields, many  of  them  the  bloodiest  in  history,  and  were 
consecrated  by  the  lives  of  half  a  million  young  men  who 
had  fallen  around  them  since  first  unfurled.  A  mightier 
army  than  Napoleon  led  to  the  mastery  of  Europe  had 
perished  in  carrying  forward  those  banners  to  victory. 
Each  one  of  the  myriads  of  bronzed  young  veterans  who 
strode  up  the  avenue  in  the  pride  of  trained  and  perfected 

[91] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

soldiership,  represented  an  average  of  nearly  half  a  score 
of  youthful  companions  who  had  started  in  with  him,  but 
who  were  now  sleeping  in  shallow  graves,  lingering  on 
beds  of  pain,  or  scattering  back  to  their  homes  as  wreck- 
age drifting  from  the  vortex  of  the  "far  flung  battle  line." 

Four  years  of  incessant  battling  with  a  foe  of  finest 
mettle  had  also  burned  out  all  the  dross  and  the  weak- 
lings, and  moulded  and  tempered  that  marching  host 
into  comparatively  the  finest  military  weapon  ever  forged 
to  execute  a  nation's  will. 

It  was  led  by  men  whose  names  will  forever  shine  in 
our  history  as  types  of  the  highest  soldiership,  joined  to 
the  purest  patriotism. 

The  first  day  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  in  a  dense 
column  which  filled  the  wide  avenue  from  curb  to  curb, 
marched  by  from  early  morn  until  late  at  night.  No  bet- 
ter demonstration  of  the  marvelous  efficiency  which  had 
been  attained  in  its  four  years'  schooling  in  war  can  be 
given  than  that  80,000  men  should  be  able  to  pass  in 
perfect  military  order  by  a  given  point  in  a  single  day. 
This  would  be  impossible  in  the  best  drilled  legions  of 
Europe  to-day.  And  with  that  army,  what  recent  and 
vivid  memories  marched?  Of  the  months  of  bloody 
welter  on  the  Peninsula.  Of  the  battle  surges  over  the 
oft-reddened  plains  of  Manassas.  Of  that  awful  Sep- 
tember day,  on  the  banks  of  the  Antietam,  which  closed 
with  12,000  boys  in  blue  lying  dead  or  wouned.  Of  that 
still  more  bitter  December  day  at  Fredericksburg,  when 
American  valor  reached  its  supreme  exaltation,  and 
13,000  fell  in  an  assault  fore-doomed  as  hopeless.  Of 
that  wasted  opportunity  at  Chancellorsville,  which  cost 
16,000  men  and  the  sanguine  hopes  of  the  close  of  the 
war.  Of  the  momentous  three  days  at  Gettysburg, 
which  finally  turned  back  the  tide  of  audacious 

[92] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

rebellion,  at  the  price  of  5,000  Union  dead,  and 
12,000  wounded.  Of  those  thirty  days  of  mortal  wrest- 
ling between  the  Union  and  Confederate  armies  from 
the  Rapidan  to  the  James,  which  cost  the  Union  army 
45,000  men,  and  filled  every  household  in  the  South  with 
mourning.  Of  the  months  of  anxious,  persistent,  inflexi- 
ble siege  of  Petersburg.  Of  that  most  magnificently 
thrilling  of  all  man-hunts  in  history,  the  blood-hound 
rush  of  Grant's  whole  army  after  Lee's,  for  a  hundred 
miles,  over  Virginia's  brakes  and  bournes  until  the  end 
came  at  Appomattox. 

For  four  long  years  the  people  had  been  walking  daily 
with  the  grand,  grim,  unconquerable  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac through  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death,  with 
only  infrequent  ascents  to  the  mountain  peaks  of  Victory, 
but  now  it  was  fresh  from  the  complete  overthrow  of  its 
mighty  antagonist.  These  were  the  men  who  had  been 
through  all  this,  the  survivors  of  the  host  which  had 
accomplished  it  all,  bearing  the  flags  around  which  they 
had  unfalteringly  gathered,  no  matter  how  disasters 
thickened. 

At  the  head  of  this  Mississippi  of  warlike  force  rode  its 
Commander,  George  Gordon  Meade — tall,  grim,  specta- 
cled, his  broad  shoulders  bent  as  if  by  the  weight  of  the 
burden  he  had  carried  from  Gettysburg  to  Appomattox. 

Sheridan,  the  whirlwind  of  battle,  was  missing  from 
the  glorious  Cavalry  Corps,  which  he  had  wakened  to  its 
strength,  and  fashioned  in  the  forge  of  war  into  the 
mightiest  mounted  force  that  ever  drew  saber.  He  had 
been  rushed  off  to  the  Rio  Grande,  to  throttle  an  exotic 
Empire  planted  in  Mexico  by  Napoleon  III,  who  counted 
us  of  too  little  worth.  Sheridan  was  well-spared,  however, 
for  awhile  later  the  imported  Emperor  was  taken  out  and 
shot. 

[94] 


THE  GRAND  REVIEW 

The  Cavalry  was  led  by  such  incomparable  lieutenants 
as  the  theatric,  dashing  George  A.  Custer,  and  the  quiet, 
gray-eyed  George  A.  Crook. 

The  Second  Corps,  each  man  in  its  perfectly  aligned 
ranks  prouder  of  his  clover  leaf  badge  than  of  a  peerage 
in  the  United  Kingdom,  was  led  by  Andrew  A.  Hum- 
phreys, an  ideal  American  soldier  and  corps  commander. 

The  Fifth  Corps,  whose  Maltese  Cross  had  badged  the 
dead  in  the  forefront  of  every  line  of  battle  of  the  Army 
of  the  Potomac,  was  led  by  tall,  slender,  knightly, 
••Charley"  Griffin,  who  had  four  years  before  entered 
the  Corps  as  an  enthusiastic  young  battery  captain,  and 
was  now  wearing  the  double  stars  of  a  major  general, 
well  earned  in  more  than  a  score  of  hard-fought  battles. 

Those  who  on  breast  or  cap  wore  a  Greek  Cross  as  a 
proud  armorial  bearing  were  the  men  who  had  followed 
the  leonine  John  Sedgwick  until  his  character  had  become 
theirs.  They  were  led  by  tall,  precise,  formal  Horatio 
G.  Wright,  an  Engineer  Officer  all  through.  But  he  could 
drop  his  theorems  and  triangulations  with  remarkable 
quickness  when  the  bugle  called,  and  hurl  the  Sixth  Corps 
like  an  avalanche  to  break  the  backbone  of  the  Confeder- 
acy at  Petersburg,  or  smash  the  heads  of  Lee's  columns 
at  Sailor's  Creek.  v 

The  Ninth  Corps — "Burnside's  Geography  Class" — 
which  had  carried  its  cannon  and  anchor  badge  from 
Roanoke  Island  to  the  Antietam,  and  then  to  Vicksburg 
and  East  Tennessee,  to  return  to  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac for  the  Wilderness  and  the  siege  of  Petersburg,  was 
led  by  another  Engineer  Officer,  John  G.  Parke,  with  the 
memory  of  the  gallant  work  of  the  Corps  at  Fort  Stead- 
man  only  a  few  weeks  old. 

The  finest  array  of  light  artillery  then  in  the  world 
came  by  under  command  of  tall,  swarthy  Henry  J.  Hunt, 

[95] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

a  devout  believer  that  Providence  was  on  the  side  that 
had  the  most  cannon  and  worked  them  to  the  best  advan- 
tage. 

Many  of  the  loved  and  trusted  leaders  now  belonged  to 
history.  The  brilliant  Kearny  and  the  steadfast  Stevens 
had  fallen  at  Chantilly,  in  sight  of  the  Capitol  they  were 
defending.  Reno  had  died  at  South  Mountain  as  his 
Corps  had  reached  the  crest  it  was  assaulting.  Mans- 
field and  Richardson  passed  into  the  Beyond  at  Antietam. 
Reynolds  only  saw  the  beginning  of  the  battle  he  opened 
at  Gettysburg.  Grand  old  John  Sedgwick  had  fallen 
beneath  a  sharpshooter's  bullet  at  Spottsylvania,  and  that 
superb  example  of  genuine  American  aristocracy,  James 
S.  Wadsworth,  had  received  the  last  of  his  wounds  in 
the  Wilderness. 

The  next  day  came  another  host  mighty  as  the  first, 
vying  with  it  in  the  greatness  of  its  history  and  the 
magnitude  of  its  achievements — strangely  like  it  in  many 
things,  strangely  unlike  in  others. 

It  was  Sherman's  army  marching  into  the  Capital  from 
the  conquest  of  half  a  continent,  ending  on  the  banks 
of  the  Potomac  a  march  begun  four  years  before,  two 
thousand  miles  away  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio. 

They  were  all  Western  men.  The  State  builders  of  the 
great  country  beyond  the  Alleghanies.  Their  battle  flags 
bore  the  inscriptions:  "Belmont,"  "Donelson,"  "Shiloh," 
"Corinth,"  "Perryville,"  "Stone  River,"  "Vicksburg," 
"Chickamauga,"  "Mission  Ridge,"  "Atlanta,"  "Savan- 
nah," "Carolinas,"  "Bentonville,"  and  a  thousand  minor 
battles,  each  of  which  had  thrilled  the  people's  hearts  to 
the  core. 

They  were  restless,  aggressive  men ;  tiger-like  in  attack, 
and  wild  boars  on  the  defense,  who  had  hunted  down 
and  fought  their  enemies  in  every  State  in  the  so-called 

[96] 


THE  GRAND  REVIEW 

Southern  Confederacy.  Xo  mountain-top  was  too  rugged, 
no  swampy  fastness  too  impenetrable  to  shelter  any  man 
who  drew  a  sword  or  raised  a  flag  in  hostility  to  the  Gov- 
ernment. While  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  chained 
to  Washington,  and  fought  all  its  battles  within  a  few 
score  miles  of  the  Capital,  they  marched  and  fought  over 
territory  exceeding  that  of  the  battling  grounds  of  all 
Europe.  They  had  cut  the  Confederacy  twice  in  twain, 
and  then  rove  out  broad  swaths  through  the  hearts  of  the 
seceding  States. 

Their  appearance  showed  they  were  wider  rangers, 
freer  lances  than  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  The  men  of 
the  latter  approached  more  nearly  the  Regular  Army 
model  of  dress,  marching,  and  manoeuvres.  The  Western 
Army  was  rather  careless  as  to  dress  and  equipments,  only 
caring  to  have  enough  to  show  that  they  were  Union 
soldiers.  Nor  did  they  bother  much  about  proper  cad- 
ence, and  absolute  perfection  of  alignment,  but  moved 
with  the  long,  swinging  stride  which  had  carried  them 
with  marvelous  swiftness  over  eleven  States. 

At  their  head  rode  the  General-in-Chief,  William 
Tecumseh  Sherman — with  the  laurels  of  Atlanta,  the 
March  to  the  Sea,  Through  the  Carolinas,  and  the  Sur- 
render of  Johnston,  still  recent  and  fresh.  Tall  and  sin- 
ewy, with  rugged  face  and  gleaming  eyes,  he  looked  the 
ideal  leader  of  battle  and  conquest.  By  his  side,  with 
armless  sleeve,  rode  one  of  his  principal  lieutenants — Oli- 
ver O.  Howard,  the  Christian  soldier,  and  the  Com- 
mander of  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee  from  Atlanta  to 
Washington. 

There  now  rode  at  the  head  of  the  Army  of  the  Ten- 
nessee John  A.  Logan,  the  greatest  volunteer  general  of 
the  War,  whose  sword  had  won  him  that  eminence  from 
the  starting  point  of  a  colonel  of  a  regiment. 

7  [97] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

The  Fifteenth  Corps,  which  had  been  commanded  by 
{Sherman  in  the  Vicksburg  campaign,  and  afterward 
by  Logan  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  through  the 
Carolinas,  was  led  by  William  B.  Hazen,  the  hero  of 
Fort  McAllister. 

The  Seventeenth,  McPherson's  old  Corps,  was  com- 
manded by  Frank  P.  Blair,  the  soldier-politician,  who, 
with  Nathaniel  Lyon,  had  saved  Missouri  to  the  Union. 

The  Army  of  Georgia  was  commanded  by  the  quiet, 
scholarly  Henry  W.  Slocum,  whose  face  reminded  one 
of  Dante's. 

The  Twentieth  Corps  was  commanded  by  "Fighting 
Joe  Mower,"  who  had  entered  the  army  in  1847  as  a 
private  in  the  engineers,  and  had  been  made  a  major-gen- 
eral for  the  passage  of  the  Salkehatchie. 

The  Fourteenth  Army  Corps,  the  Corps  which  "Pap" 
Thomas  had  fashioned  and  made  "the  Rock  of  Chicka- 
mauga"  was  commanded  by  dark-faced,  sour-looking 
Jefferson  C.  Davis,  every  inch  a  soldier,  who  had  given 
the  best  taste  of  his  quality  at  Pea  Ridge,  when,  having 
fought  a  successful  fight  through,  at  great  loss,  on  one 
part  of  the  line,  had  led  his  brigade  at  once  to  another 
part  and  helped  win  the  battle  there. 

,  The  triumphant  troops  missed  on  the  reviewing  stand 
the  face  of  all  others  they  had  most  longed  to  see,  that 
of  the  great-hearted,  kindly  Lincoln,  who  had  fallen 
beneath  the  assassin's  bullet,  a  few  weeks  before. 

His  place  was  taken  by  heavy- jowled,  red- faced  John- 
son. At  his  side  stood  the  great  organizer  of  victory,  the 
iron-willed  Stanton,  Secretary  of  War. 

Most  interesting  of  all  in  that  group  was  the  ruddy 
bearded,  stoop-shouldered,  quiet  man  with  three  stars  in 
his  straps,  who  had  commanded  all  the  armies  of  the 
United  States  in  the  last  decisive  year  of  the  war.  A 

[98] 


THE  GRAND  REVIEW 

tanner's  clerk  when  the  war  began ;  a  colonel  in  his 
first  campaign,  who  won  every  promotion  by  success  upon 
the  field  of  battle;  who  was  constantly  called  to  "come 
up  higher,"  because  he  had  done  so  well  below ;  who  had 
never  fought  but  to  win ;  and  never  organized  but  to  suc- 
ceed. The  end  of  the  war  saw  him  the  sole  commander 
of  a  million  battle-trained  veterans,  the  mightiest  host 
in  every  way  that  the  world  had  ever  seen  subject  to  one 
man's  will,  and  there  was  but  one  voice  as  to  the  eminent 
fitness  for  that  pinnacle  of  unprecedented  greatness  of 
Lieutenant  General  Ulysses  Grant. 


The    National    Armory,    Now    the    U.    S.    Fish    Commission. 


[99] 


The  Military  Power  of  the  United  States  as 
Shown  During  the  War  of  the  Rebellion. 

BY  THOMAS  McCUEDY  VINCENT 

Brigadier  General,  by  brevet,  U.  S.  Army 

N  April,  1861,  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  was,  for  the 
purpose  of  war,  paralyzed.  It 
had  not,  practically,  an  army  to 
maintain  its  authority,  and  was 
far  from  being  able  to  attack  the 
"accessible  quarter"  of  an  in- 
ternal enemy,  in  conspiracy  over 
.an  area  of  733,144  square  miles 
connected  with  a  shore  line  of 
25,144  miles;  a  coast  line  of 
3,522  miles;  and  an  interior 
boundary  of  7,031  miles.  Had  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  through  Congress,  been  more  thoughtful  concern- 
ing the  object  of,  and  necessity  for,  the  military  arm, 
paralysis  would  have  been  avoided  through  the  availa- 
bility of  a  suitable  force  to  crush  the  initial  of  the  Kebel- 
lion,  and  the  State,  in  combat  with  its  own  children, 
would  have  been  spared  a  great  sacrifice  of  human  life — 
including  that  of  the  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army 
and  Navy — aside  from  a  debt  of  $2,718,656,173.13  incident 
to  and  arising  from  the  war.  All  this  independently  of 
a  pension  debt,  from  1861  to  1875,  of  $279,791,465.36, 
since  increased  about  $150,000,000;  thus  aggregating 
$429,791,465.36. 

Early  in  the  struggle,  the  question  was  not:    What  will 
it  cost?  but,  Can  the  Government  be  saved,  at  any  cost? 

[100] 


Secretary  Stanton. 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

The  magnitude  attained  by  the  Rebellion  is  most  in- 
structive, for  the  public  debt  and  the  money  paid  to  pen- 
sioners— $3,148,447,638.49 — would  support  our  present* 
(1881)  military  force,  costing,  say,  $30,000,000  yearly,  for 
one  hundred  and  five  years.  Now,  however,  as  a  result  of 
temporary  expedients  coupled  with  shameful  neglect,  the 
people  have  to  pay  the  debt;  expend  say  $30,000,000 
yearly  for  pensions,t  and  support  an  army  costing  yearly 
$30,000,000.  That  is  to  say,  we  have  lost,  by  not  having 
an  available  force  to  prevent  rebellion,  $3,148,447,638.49. t 

Powerless,  however,  as  the  Government  then  was  to 
overcome  the  gigantic  attack,  there  was,  fortunately,  a 
grand  latent  power,  awaiting  for  its  development  only 
the  demand  of  the  national  heart  and  the  Regular  Army 
to  educate  it  and  prepare  it  for  service.  After  seven 
months  of  preparation  that  power  was  manifest,  under  an 
organization  numbering  640,637  officers  and  enlisted  men 
—the  Volunteer  Army  of  the  United  States,  with  its 
elements  of  patriotism,  wisdom,  courage  and  moderation. 

MOBILIZATION. 
1861. 

On  January  1,  the  authorized  Army  of  the  United 
States  consisted  of  two  regiments  of  dragoons;  two  regi- 
ments of  cavalry ;  one  regiment  of  mounted  riflemen ;  four 
regiments  of  artillery;  and  ten  regiments  of  infantry — 
aggregating,  present  and  absent,  16,402  commissioned 
officers  and  enlisted  men,  inclusive  of  the  general  officers 
and  general  staff. 

On  April  14,  it  was  officially  promulgated,  by  the  Pres- 

•This  article  was  written  in  1881. 

tEstimated  amount  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1882,  $68,282,- 
306.68;  Inclusive  of  certain  arrears. 

|At  this  date,  June,  1902,  we  have  lost  by  not  having  an  .availa- 
ble force  to  prevent  rebellion,  $5,383,378,035.  An  amount  that 
would  support  an  army  costing  yearly  say  $100,000,000,  about  54 
years. 

[101] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

ident  of  the  United  States,  that  revolutionary  combina- 
tions existed  in  certain  States,  and  75,000  militia,  for 
three  months'  service,  were  called  to  suppress  said  com- 
binations and  to  cause  the  laws  to  be  duly  executed. 
In  addition,  all  loyal  citizens  were  appealed  to  that  they 
might  favor,  facilitate,  and  aid  the  effort  to  maintain 
"the  honor,  the  integrity,  and  the  existence  of  our  Na- 
tional Union,  and  the  perpetuity  of  popular  government, 
and  to  redress  wrongs  already  long  enough  endured." 
The  President  deemed  it  proper  to  add,  that  the  first 
service  of  the  forces  would,  probably,  be  to  repossess  the 
forts,  places  and  property  which  had  been  seized  from 
the  Union,  and  directed  that  in  every  event,  consistently 
with  the  objects  he  had  referred  to,  care  should  be  taken 
to  avoid  "any  devastation,  any  destruction  of  or  inter- 
ference with  property,  or  any  disturbance  of  peaceful 
citizens  in  any  part  of  the  country." 

When  the  President  took  this  first  decided  action 
against  the  rebellion,  the  danger  threatening  the  seat  of 
Government  will  be  indicated  in  the  following : 

HEADQUARTERS  or  THE  ARMY, 

WASHINGTON,  April  %6, 1861. 
GENERAL  ORDERS  No.  4. 

I.  From  the  known  assemblage,  near  this  city,  of  num- 
erous hostile  bodies  of  troops,  it  is  evident  that  an  attack 
upon  it  may  be  expected.     In  such  an  event,  to  meet 
and  repel  the  enemy,  it  is  necessary  that  some  plan  of 
harmonious  co-operation  should  be  adopted  on  the  part 
of  all  the  forces,  regular  and  volunteer,  present  for  the 
defensfe  of  the  Capital — that  is,  for  the  defense  of  the 
Government,  the  peaceable  inhabitants  of  the  city,  their 
property,  the  public  buildings,  and  public  archives. 

II.  At  the  first  moment  of  attack  every  regiment,  bat- 
talion, squadron,  and  independent  company  will  promptly 
assemble  at  its  established  rendezvous  (in  or  out  of  the 
public  buildings)  ready  for  battle,  and  wait  for  orders. 

[102] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

III.  The  piquets  (or  advanced  guards)  will  stand  fast 
till   driven   in   by   overwhelming   forces;   but  it   is  ex- 
pected that  those  stationed  to  defend  bridges — having 
every  advantage  of  position — will  not  give  way  till  act- 
ually pushed  by  the  bWonet.    Such  obstinacy  on  the  parts 
of  piquets  so  stationed  is  absolutely  necessary  to  give  time 
for  the  troops  in  the  rear  to  assemble  at  their  places  of 
rendezvous. 

IV.  All  advance  guards  and  piquets  driven  in,  will  fall 
back  slowly  to  delay  the  advance  of  the  enemy  as  much 
as  possible  before  repairing  to  their  proper  rendezvous. 

V.  On  the  happening  of  an  attack,  the  troops  lodged 
in  the  public  buildings,  and  in  the  Navy  Yard,  will  remain 
for  their  defense,  respectively,  unless  specially  ordered 
elsewhere ;  with  the  exceptions  that  the  Seventh  New  York 
regiment  and   the   Massachusetts   regiment   will   march 
rapidly  toward  the  President's  Square  for  its  defense; 
and  the  Rhode  Island  regiment  (in  the  Department  of  the 
Interior)   when  full,  will  make  a  diversion,  by  detach- 
ment, to  assist  in  the  defense  of  the  General  Post  Office 
Building,  if  necessary.  WINFIELD  SCOTT. 

On  May  3,  the  President  deemed  it  indispensably  neces- 
sary to  further  augment  the  forces  by  42,034  three-year 
volunteers  (39  regiments  of  infantry  and  one  of  cavalry) ; 
and  22,714  officers  and  enlisted  men  of  the  regular  army 
(8  regiments  of  infantry,  one  of  cavalry  and  one  of 
artillery).  The  augmentation  was  confirmed  by  the  act 
of  Congress  approved  August  6,  1861. 

Thus  the  forces,  exclusive  of  the  Navy,  authorized  "for 
the  protection  of  the  National  Union  by  the  suppression 
of  the  insurrectionary  combinations"  then  existing,  were : 

Regular  Army  (January  1,  1861) 16,402 

Militia  (April  15, 1861) 75,000 

Regulars  and  Volunteers  (May  3, 1861) ....  64,748 


Total   156,150 

[103] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

It  must  be  remembered  that  while  it  was  intended  that 
the  regular  army  should  aggregate  39,116  (16,402  plus 
22,714)  it  fell  far  short  of  that  number,  and  did  not  reach 
the  authorized  standard  at  any  time  during  the  war,  as 
will  appear  from  the  aggregate  strength — present  and 
absent — at  various  dates,  as  follows:  July  1,  1861,  16,422; 
January  1,  1862,  22,425;  March  31,  1862,  23,308;  January 
1,  1863,  25,463 ;  January  1,  1864,  24,636 ;  January  1,  1865, 
22,019 ;  March  31,  1865,  21,669. 

The  call  for  militia  was  more  than  met;  91,816  were 
furnished — but  the  force  was  hardly  mustered  in  when 
terms  of  service  found  their  expiration.  The  call  for  40 
regiments  of  volunteers  was  more  than  met — 71  regiments 
of  infantry,  1  of  heavy  artillery,  and  10  batteries  of  light 
-artillery  were  accepted  and  mustered  into  the  service 
before  July  1. 

In  July  the  magnitude  of  the  unlawful  violence  had 
fully  dawned  and  it  was  clearly  apparent  that  the  meas- 
ures authorized  for  the  impartial  enforcement  of  constitu- 
tional laws,  and  for  the  speedy  restoration  of  peace  and 
order,  had  failed.  Congress  assembled,  and  by  the  acts 
approved,  respectively,  July  22  and  25,  authorized  the 
President  to  accept  500,000  volunteers  for  three  years  or 
the  war.  Extended  latitude,  as  to  the  acceptance,  was 
conferred  by  the  act  approved  July  31,  in  that  "previous 
proclamation"  was  done  away  with,  and  that  the  volun- 
teers were  authorized  to  be  accepted  "in  such  numbers, 
from  any  State  or  States  as  in  his  (the  President's)  dis- 
cretion the  public  service  may  require." 

1862. 

The  recruitment  was  so  energetically  pressed  by  the 
people  that  on  January  1,  553,492  men  were  in  active 
service,  and  on  March  31,  the  number  had  been  increased 
to  613,813.  With  such  a  force — believed  by  the  people 

[104] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

sufficient  to  overcome  the  rebellion — there  were  necessar- 
ily vast  expenditures,  and  consequently  the  Government 
was  pressed  to  discontinue  the  recruiting  service;  and  it 
was,  on  April  3,  discontinued  for  every  State — officers 
rith  their  details  joined  their  respective  regiments,  and 
ic  public  property  belonging  to  the  service  was  sold.  At 
lis  time,  had  any  one  said  that  it  would  require  2,600,000 
ilistments,  from  the  first  to  last,  and  an  increase  of  the 
volunteer  forces,  in  service  at  one  time,  to  1,000,000,  in 
)rder  that  armed  resistance  to  the  Government  might  be 
)verthrown,  the  assertion  would  have  been  considered  as 
larking  insanity.  An  officer,  with  fame  now  world-wide, 
irly  in  1861,  urged  the  calling  out  of  300,000  men;  and 
more  than  one  person  alleged  him  to  be  under  a  visitation 
of  insanity — a  subject  fit  for  an  institution  having  for  its 
object  "the  most  humane  care  and  enlightened  curative 
treatment  of  the  insane  of  the  Army." 

Fortunately,  the  error  of  non-recruitment  for  the  forces 
was  soon  forced  to  the  observation  of  the  Executive,  and, 
June  6,  the  recruiting  service  was  ordered  to  be  resumed. 
The  blighting  effect  of  the  discontinuance  had  influ- 
ence over  future  attempts  to  recruit  the  Armies. 
On  June  30,  the  volunteer  forces  were  as  follows : 

Cavalry   76,844 

Artillery    30,467 

Infantry  514,723 


Grand  aggregate 622,034;  inclusive 

of  15,007  three-months  men  furnished  in  May  and  June, 
under  special  authority. 

The  entire  number  of  volunteers  furnished  under  the 
calls  of  May  3,  1861,  and  the  acts  approved,  respectively, 
July  22  and  25, 1861,  was  as  follows: 

Three  years,  67,868 ;  two  years,  30,950 ;  one  year,  9,147 ; 
six  months,  2,715 ;  a  total  of  70,680. 

[105] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

A  comparison  of  this  with  the  strength  of  the  forces 
in  service  at  various  dates,  points  to  the  rapidity  with 
which  they  were  depleted,  and  the  large  numbers  required 
to  meet  casualties. 

On  June  28,  the  Governors  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire, 
Vermont,  Connecticut,  New  York,  New  Jersey,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Maryland,  Virginia,  Michigan,  Tennessee,  Mis- 
souri, Indiana,  Ohio,  Minnesota,  Illinois  and  Wisconsin — 
also  the  President  of  the  Military  Board  of  Kentucky, 
requested  the  President  to  call  upon  the  several  States 
for  such  number  of  men  as  might  be  required  to  fill  up  all 
organizations  in  the  field,  and  to  add  to  the  armies  then 
organized.  The  request  was  based  on  a  desire  that  the 
recent  success  of  the  Federal  armies  might  be  followed 
by  measures  which  would  secure  the  speedy  restoration 
of  the  Union,  and  the  belief,  in  view  of  the  important 
military  movements  then  in  progress,  that  the  time  had 
arrived  for  prompt  and  vigorous  measures,  thus  to  speed- 
ily crush  the  rebellion.  The  decisive  moment  seemed  near 
at  hand,  and  the  people  were  desirous  to  aid,  promptly,  in 
furnishing  all  needful  re-enforcements  to  sustain  the 
Government. 

The  President  concurred  in  the  wisdom  of  the  views 
expressed  in  the  request,  and,  on  July  2,  called  for  300,000 
men  for  three  years.  He  was  enabled  to  do  this  under  the 
extended  authority  conferred  by  the  act  on  July  31,  1861. 
This  call  for  volunteers  was,  on  August  4,  supplemented 
by  one,  through  a  draft,  for  300,000  militia,  for  nine 
months'  service.  These  efforts  secured  421,465  three-year 
volunteers,  and  88,588  nine-months'  militia.  By  Septem- 
ber 17,  212,488  of  the  numbers  had  been  furnished  and 
were  mainly  in  the  field;  on  November  21,  the  aggregate 
was  370,349;  and  on  the  same  date  the  strength  of  the 
volunteer  armies  of  the  United  States  was: 

[106] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

Grand  aggregate,  officers  and  enlisted 790,197 

Sick,  wounded,  and  absent 124,012 

Leaving  present  for  duty 666,185 

1863. 

On  January  1,  the  volunteer  forces  numbered  892,728. 
From  that  date,  notwithstanding  that  musters  out  and 
casualties  would  soon  heavily  reduce  the  armies,  there  was 
a  marked  lethargy  in  the  recruitment  of  the  forces,  and, 
to  October  1,  the  volunteers  and  militia  mustered  into 
service  only  numbered  as  follows: 

For  New  Organizations. 

Three  years 49,069 

One  year 1,059 

Nine  months 917 

Six  months   12,787     63,832 

For  Old  Organizations. 

Three  years  19,174 

One  year  72 

Nine  months  149 

Six  months 15     19,410 

Unassigned. 

New  2,570 

Old   1,921 

Colored  970       5,461 


Grand  total 88,703 

A  number  far  from  sufficient  to  maintain  the  necessary 
strength.  While  100,000  militia  were  called  for  by  the 
President's  proclamation  of  June  15,  only  16,361  were 
furnished. 

Fortunately  for  the  Government,  on  March  3,  1863, 
the  act  of  Congress,  "for  enrolling  and  calling  out  the 
national  forces,  and  for  other  purposes,"  was  approved 
by  the  President;  and  thus  the  people  were  to  become 
familiar  with  conscription. 

[10T] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

Under  the  enrollment  act  the  subjects  of  "credit"  for 
men  furnished  to  the  military  service,  was  realized  as  one 
of  great  importance,  and  it  became  necessary  to  know 
how  the  respective  States  stood  in  account  with  the 
General  Government.  The  following  exhibit  served  as 
the  working  basis  for  quotas  under  future  calls : 


State. 


Deficiency. 


Excess. 


Connecticut 1,748  j 

Delaware 473  i 

Illinois 60,171 

Indiana 25,511 

Iowa 13,897 

Kansas Xot  determined 

Kentucky Not  determined 

Maine |  2,892' 

Maryland 13,302 

Massachusetts 5,851i 

Michigan 5,238 

Missouri Not  determined 

Minnesota .  .  . 2,535 

New   Hampshire 388 

New    Jersey 12,503 

New    York i 5,517 

Ohio ! 28,429 

Pennsylvania 15,407 

Rhode  Island 1,198 

Tennessee JNot  determined 

Vermont None None 

West  Virginia ! 3,373 

Wisconsin |  3,578 

Total 52,564  149,393 


The  aggregate  deficiency,  under  all  calls,  at  the  term- 
ination of  the  war  was  68,648;  the  number  would  have 
been  obtained  in  full  had  recruiting  and  drafting  been 
continued. 

On  October  1,  the  strength  of  the  volunteer  armies  was, 
present  and  absent,  812,578. 

On  October  17,  the  President  called  for  300,000  volun- 
teers for  three  years'  service,  and  directed  that  any 
deficiency  that  might  exist  on  January  5,  1864,  should  be 
filled  by  draft.  At  the  same  time  he  addressed  himself 

[108] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

to  the  people,  invoking  them  to  lend  a  willing,  cheerful, 
and  effective  aid  to  the  measures  thus  adopted,  "with  a 
view  to  reinforce  our  victorious  armies  in  the  field,  and 
bring  our  needful  military  operations  to  a  prosperous  end, 
thus  closing  forever  the  fountains  of  sedition  and  civil 
war." 

1864. 

On  January  1,  the  volunteer  forces  aggregated  836,101. 

On  February  1,  a  draft  for  500,000  men  was  ordered, 
but  owing  to  the  allowance  of  "credits  by  enlistment  and 
draft,"  the  call,  practically,  was  only  for  200,000. 

Under  the  calls  of  October  17,  1863,  and  the  draft  of 
February  1,  1864,  317,092  men  were  obtained  for  three 
years  and  52,288  paid  commutation. 

Soon  after,  on  February  24,  by  act  of  Congress  ap- 
proved that  date,  the  President  was  authorized,  whenever 
he  deemed  it  necessary  during  the  war,  to  call  for  such 
number  of  men  for  the  military  service  of  the  United 
States  as  the  public  exigencies  might  require,  it  estab- 
lished "the  will  of  the  President  as  the  authority  for  rais- 
ing troops,"  and  conferred  a  delicate  and  mighty  power. 

On  March  14,  a  call  was  made  for  200,000  men  for  three 
years;  259,515  were  furnished,  and  32,678  paid  commuta- 
tion. 

On  July  18,  there  was  a  further  call  for  500,000;  the 
volunteers  were  accepted  for  one,  two,  or  three  years,  as 
they  desired,  and  the  States  were  given  fifty  days  in 
which  to  raise  their  quotas,  in  accordance  with  section  2 
of  the  enrollment  act  approved  on  July  14;  386,461  men 
were  supplied,  and  1,298  paid  commutation. 

From  April  23  to  July  5  inclusive,  several  calls  for 
troops,  to  serve  not  exceeding  100  days,  were  made.  Under 
them  95  regiments,  2  battalions,  and  26  independent  com- 
panies were  furnished — mainly  infantry. 

[109] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 


On  December  19  there  was  a  call  for  300,000  men  to 
serve  for  one,  two,  or  three  years;  but  after  194,635  had 
been  raised  under  it — active  military  operations  having 
ceased — April  13,  1865,  orders  were  promulgated  to  dis- 
continue recruitment. 

1865. 

On  January  1,  the  strength  of  the  Volunteer  Army  was 
937,441 ;  March  31,  958,471 ;  May  1,  1,034,064. 

Thtr  results  accomplished,  during  the  period  embraced 
in  the  foregoing,  will  be  apparent  from  the  following 
exhibits : 

1. — Number  of  organizations — volunteers  and  militia — organized 
and  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  during  the 
rebellion — by  calls. 


Infantry. 
No.  of- 

Cavalry. 
No.of— 

Artillery.    No.  of  — 

Calls  —  under  which 

*l 

tE 

JJ    - 

Reg'ts. 

Battl's. 

Comp's. 

furnished. 

to 

0 

•t. 

0  S 

•3  £ 

.2 

00 

a 

•Si 

| 

IP 

<!>• 
S 

£E 

j 

£ 

^j 

£ 

J 

t; 

~ 

0  0 

•o 

i 

£ 

•a  " 

A 
M 

03 

tf 

S3 
O 

A 
H 

g 

0 

PJ! 

H 

M 

a 

s 

9 

a 

S 

a 

3 

a 

April  15,  1861     .    .    . 

104 

1 

17 

2 

11 

May  3  and  acts  of  July 

22  and  25,  1861  .    . 

560 

42 

82 

3 

28 

6 

9 

3 

129 

3 

July  2,  1862   .    .    .    . 

346 

24 

•  44 

12 

i 

•  57 

August  4,  1862  .    .    . 

72 

5 

1 

4 

2 

June  15,  1863     .    .    . 

8 

9 

2 

4 

1 

13 

6 

October  17,  1863    .    . 

18 

8 

20 

11 

1 

1 

8 

1 

February  1  and  March 

14,  1864  ..... 

12 

17 

11 

18 

3 

ft 

S 

1864,       for      100-day 

troops  

95 

9 

18 

ft 

1 

a 

July  18,  1864     .    .    . 

66 

94 

3 

2 

7 

i 

1 

December  19,  1864    . 

54 

128 

2 

i 

Special,    1861,    1862, 

1863,  1864  .... 

333 

15 

149 

65 

5 

39 

1 

12 

1 

22 

22 

Grand  total     .    . 

1,668 

•21 

504 

232 

9 

122 

8 

44 

5 

• 

i 

244 

30 

[110] 


2. — Number  of  organizations — volunteers  and  militia — organized 
and  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  during  the 
rebellion  by  States  and  Territories. 


States  a:ul  Territories. 

Infantry. 

Cavalry. 

Artillery.    No.  of— 

S 

a 

I 

00 

1 

'S 

p 

1  llilrpM't 

romp  s. 

2 
= 
• 

2 

00 

c 

~r. 

2 
I 

1 

2 
1 

1  ludep'U'r. 
•  •  •  •  I  Comp's. 

Keg  i  's. 

Bat'l's.  Comp's. 

JS 

t§ 

3 

X 

> 
'C 

JS 

to 

3 

>> 

- 
3 

ti 

J3 

in 

13 

>> 

it 

o 

K 

Alabama     

1 
i 

i 
i 
i 

11 

1 

4 

." 
40 

2 
67 

2 

•Jl 

49 
5 
39 
6 
3 

41 

2 

4 
2 

« 

1 
2 

Arizona    

Arkansas     

2 
t> 
1 
27 

California    

Colorado  

1 

2 

1 

Connecticut     .... 
Dakota     

6 

2 

Delaware     .    .    .  •  .    . 

6 
2 

1 

1 

District  of  Colombia. 
Florida     

1 

1 

Georgia    

Illinois     

155 
138 
3 
4.r> 
ti 
47 
4 
31 
18 
69 
37 
12 

15 
11 

18 

1 

38 
26 

'. 

Indiana    

Indian  Territory    .    . 
Iowa     

9 
8 
17 
2 
2 
1 
5 
11 
2 
1 
29 
2 

1 
3 
1 

•29 

2 

4 
4 

7 

• 

Kansas     

Kentucky    ..... 

Louisiana     

Maine           .    .    . 

8 
9 
7 
2 
10 

\ 

1 
4 

•l 

1 

7 
5 
19 
14 
3 

3 

8 

Maryland     

Massachusetts     .    .    . 
Michigan      

Minnesota   .    .    . 

Mississippi  .... 

Missouri  

75 

3 

2 

1 
6 

2 

1 
1 

8 

1 
6 

29 

2 

Nebraska     .    .   *    . 

Nevada    
New  Hampshire     .    . 
New  Jersey     .... 
New  Mexico   .... 
New  York    .... 

17 
37 
6 

24.'. 
4 
218 

1 
189 
9 

• 

3 
10 
11 

:>: 

5 

2 

13 

3 

North  Carolina  .    .    . 
Ohio         

5 

25 

!•-.' 
li 

13 
1 
24 
2 

1 
o 

18 

13 
2 

1 

1 

1 

2 

4 

2 

2 

28 

6 
2 

10 

Oregon      

Pennsylvania      .    .    . 
Rhode  Island      .    .    . 
South  Carolina   .    .    . 
Tennessee    .... 
Texas   

16 

3 
1 
t 

12 
2 
1 

3 
2 
2 

1 

• 

Vermont  

16 
1 

1 

3 

1 

Virginia  

Washington  Territory 
West  Virginia    .    .    . 
Wisconsin    .... 

6 
13 

. 

18 
51 
9 
6 
133 

2 

1 

4 
3 

1 

First  Army  Corps  .    . 
U.  S.  Volunteers   .    . 
U.  S.  Colored  Troops. 

Grand  total     .    . 

4 

7 

• 

12 

• 

10 

• 

1,668   21  504  232 

9122 

8 

44 

5 

1 

244 

30 

3. — Number  of  men  called  for,  and  number  furnished,  etc.,  by  each 
State,  Territory,  and  the  District  of  Columbia,  during  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion. 


States   and 
Territories. 

Aggregate. 

Aggregate 
reduced  to 
a  3  years' 
standard. 

Quota. 

Men 
furnished. 

i§ 

°*3 

5j 

'-  3 

£8 

Total. 

Maine     

73.587 
35,897 
32,074 
139,095 
18,898 
44,797 
507,148 
92,820 
385,369 
13,935 
70,965 
34,463 
13,973 
306,322 
199,788 
244,496 
95,007 
109,080 
26,326 
79,521 
122,496 
100,782 
12,931 
1,56(" 
780 
15,560 

70,107 
33.937 
33,288 
146,730 
23,236 
55,864 
448,850 
76,814 
327,936 
12,284 
46,638 
32,068 
16,534 
313,180 
196,363 
259,092 
87,364 
91,327 
24,020 
76,242 
109,111 
75,760 
20.149 
31,  '092 
8,289 
3,156 
15,725 
1,080 
1,810 

964 
3,157 
4,903 
206 

6,561 
2,576 
1,290 
5,224 
545 
1,965 
3,530 

2,00: 

692 
1,974 
5,318 
463 
1,515 
18,197 
4,19b 
28,171 
1,386 
3,678 

338 
6,479 

784 
55 
2,008 
5,097 
1,032 
67 

3,265 
2 

72,114 
34,629 
35,262 
152,048 
23,699 
57,379 
467,047 
81,010 
366,107 
13,670 
50,316 
32,068 
16,672 
319,659 
197,147 
259,147 
89,372 
96,424 
25,052 
76,309 
109,111 
79,025 
20,151 
31  .092 
8,289 
3,156 
15,725 
1,080 
1,810 

964 
3,157 
4,903 
206 

6,561 
2,576 
1,290 
5,224 
545 
1,965 
3,530 

56,776 
30,849 
29,068 
124,104 
17,866 
50,623 
392,270 
57,908 
265,517 
10,322 
41,275 
27,714 
11,506 
240,514 
153.576 
214,133 
80,111 
79,260 
19,693 
68,630 
86,530 
70,832 
18,706 
26,394 
7,836 
3,156 
15,725 
1,080 
1,773 

964 
2,175 
3,697 
206 

4,432 
1,611 
1,290 
4,654 
545 
1,632 
3,530 

New  Hampshire  .    . 
Vermont    

Massachusetts  .    .    . 
Rhode  Island.  .    .    . 
Connecticut.     .    .    . 
New  York     .... 
New  Jersey  .... 
Pennsylvania   .    .    . 
Delaware  

Maryland  

West  Virginia  .    .    . 
District  of  Columbia 
Ohio   

Indiana      

Illinois  

Michigan   .... 

Wisconsin     .... 
Minnesota     .... 
Iowa  

Missouri    

Kentucky  

Kansas  

Tennessee      .... 
Arkansas   

North  Carolina    .    . 
California.     .    . 

Nevada  

Oregon   

Washington    Terri- 
tory 

Nebraska  Territory  . 
Colorado  Territory  . 
Dakota  Territory     . 
New  Mexico  Terri- 
tory   . 

Alabama    .    .    . 

Florida.     .    . 

L/ouisiana. 

Mississippi    . 

Texas     .    .    . 

Indian  Nation 

Total  

2,763,670 

2,678,967 

86,724 

2,765,691 

2,228,483 

THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

The  constant  addition  to  the  forces  of  new  regiments, 
proved  a  great  element  of  weakness  to  the  armies.  As  a 
great  evil  it  may  here  be  referred  to. 

Under  every  call,  the  first  act  of  Governors  of  States 
was  to  ask  the  authority  to  raise  new  regiments.  The 
desire  of  the  War  Department  was  to  secure  recruits  for 
old  regiments,  and  thus  maintain  their  organizations. 
The  Secretary  of  War,  in  order  to  a  determined  stand, 
secured,  in  December,  1864,  the  views  of  the  General-in- 
Chief  and  Army  commanders.  All  were  in  support  of 
the  opinion  of  the  Secretary,  relative  to  the  necessity  of 
recruits  for  old  regiments ;  but  the  pressure  of  the  States 
caused  all,  as  on  former  occasions,  to  yield,  and  56  new 
regiments  and  129  new  independent  companies  under  the 
call  of  December  19,  1864,  were  added  to  the  list  of 
organizations  in  service,  77  regiments  and  98  companies 
having  been  added  under  the  call  of  July  18,  1864.  All 
this  at  a  time  when  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  alone, 
required  80,000  recruits  to  fill  its  organizations  to  the 
maximum — some  400,000  would  have  been  necessary  for 
all  the  armies — and  when  experienced  and  gallant  lieu- 
tenant colonels  and  other  regimental  officers,  bearing  the 
wounds  of  many  battles,  could  not  receive  promotion 
owing  to  the  depleted  state  of  their  commands.  The 
subject  was  pointedly  referred  to  by  the  commander  of 
one  of  the  armies,  as  follows : 

The  raising  of  new  regiments  is  a  means  desired  to  fill 
the  quota  and  avoid  the  draft. 

There  is  no  intention,  I  suppose,  that  these  new  regi- 
ments should  serve  the  United  States,  and  their  colonels 
will  hardly  come  into  contact  with  the  army.  Still  if  it 
be  the  intention  to  put  these  new  regiments  into  the  field, 
where  they  would  have  command  of  older  and  better 
regimental  commanders,  it  is  a  question  for  the  War  De- 
partment to  determine,  and  not  mine.  I  must  take  troops 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

as  they  come  to  me,  and  respect  the  commissions  they 
hold. 

Marvellous  results  have  been  achieved  by  the  United 
States,  as  exemplified  by  what  has  been  recorded  in  the 
foregoing,  in  connection  with  the  following  summary : 

1.  On  July  1,  1861,  the  strength  of  the  Volunteer  Army 
was  170,329.     If  there  be  added  77,875  militia  for  three 
months,  obtained  immediately  under  the  call  of  April 
15,  1861,  we  have  248,204  men  recruited  and  placed  in 
service  in  two  and  one-half  months,  an  average  of  almost 
100,000  a  month.    From  July  1,  1861,  to  January  1,  1862, 
the  average  number  a  month  actually  added  to  the  forces 
was  63,860,  in  all,  383,163,  this  without  the  aid  of  extra- 
ordinary expedients  and  in  the  face  of  great  difficulties 
met  with  in  arming,  clothing,  and  equipping. 

The  foregoing  is  with  reference  to  the  actual  strength 
on  January  1,  1862,  and  without  regard  to  depletion  from 
disability  and  other  causes,  so  great  that  on  August  11, 
1862,  the  official  returns  indicated  that  272,328  recruits 
were  required  to  fill  the  regiments  then  in  service. 

On  December  1,  1861,  the  estimated  strength  of  the 
forces  was  640,637,  and  on  that  basis  the  average  num- 
ber of  men  a  month  recruited  from  July  1, 1861,  to  Decem- 
ber 1, 1861,  was  94,061— in  all  470,308. 

The  difficulties  in  arming,  clothing,  and  equipments 
were  so  great  that  the  service  of  hundreds  of  thousands 
were  declined.  Could  arms,  clothing,  and  equipage  have 
been  secured,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  1,000,000  of  men  could 
have  been  placed  in  service  within  five  months. 

2.  One  State,  Illinois,  under  the  calls  of  July  2  and 
August  4,  1862,  placed  in  service  58,689  men.     Of  that 
number  over  50,000 — from  the  farmers  and  mechanics  of 
the  State — were  furnished  within  eleven  days. 

"Animated  by  a  common  purpose  and  firmly  resolved  on 

[114] 


rescuing  the  Government  [they]  left  their  harvest  un- 
gathered,  their  tools  on  the  benches,  the  plows  in  the 
furrows,"  thus  making  a  proud  record,  without  a  palallel 
in  the  history  of  the  war. 

3.  Under  the  calls  of  July  2  and  August  4,  1862,  there 
were  prior  to  November  21  of  the  same  year,  sent  to  the 
field: 

289  regiments  of  infantry  for  3  years, 
58  regiments  of  infantry  for  9  months, 
34  batteries  of  artillery  for  3  years, 
42  companies  of  cavalry  for  3  years,  and 
36  companies  of  cavalry  for  9  months ; 
and  50,000  recruits  for  old  three-year  regiments — a  grand 
aggregate  of  370,349  men;  an  average  of  about  82,211  a 
month. 

4.  Under  the  proposition  (accepted  by  the  President  on 
April  23,  1864)  of  the  Governors  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illi- 
nois, Iowa  and  Wisconsin,  to  furnish  85,000  one-hundred- 
day  troops,  the  Governor  of  Ohio,  in  response  to  the  War 
Department  call  of  May  1,  ordered  the  contribution  of  the 
State  to  rendezvous  in  the  respective  counties  at  the  most 
eligible  places,  on  May  2.    At  seven  and  one-half  o'clock, 
p.  M.,  the  same  date,  reports  recited  38,000  men  in  camp. 
In  twelve  days  36,254  men  were  organized  into  41  regi- 
ments and  one  battalion,  mustered,  clothed,  armed,  equip- 
ped, and  ready  for  transportation  to  the  field. 

On  May  24,  22  days  from  date  of  rendezvous,  the  forty- 
two  regiments  embracing  the  force  were  in  active  service. 

5.  During  four  months  in  1864,  295,011  three  year  men 
were  placed  in  the  field — 69,533  in  February  and  115,000 
in  September. 

6.  February,  1865,  69,000  one,  two,  and  three  year  men 
were  furnished  by  four  States,  as  follows: 

[115] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 


Ohio    10,984 

Indiana    11,317 

Illinois    13,696 

Wisconsin    5,015 


Total   41,012 

or  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  entire  number  from  all  the  States. 

Inclusive  of  March,  1865,  the  number  was  increased  to 
136,000,  of  which  the  same  States  furnished  18,783; 
17,993;  22,016;  and  8,142  respectively— 66,934  or  forty- 
nine  per  cent,  of  the  entire  number  recruited  within  the 
two  months. 

7.  More  than  2,600,000  men  were  furnished  on  the 
Union  side,  and  about  800,000,  approximately,  on  the  Con- 
federate^an  aggregate  North  and  South,  of  3,400,000. 
That  is  to  say— from  April  15,  1861,  to  April  28,  1865, 
a  period  of  about  48  consecutive  months,  the  country  sup- 
plied, monthly,  an  average  of  almost  71,000 — a  large 
army — for  military  service. 

DlSBANDMENT. 

April  28,  1865,  in  view  of  the  speedy  termination  of 
hostilities,  the  Secretary  of  War,  immediately  after  his 
return  from  a  meeting  of  the  cabinet,  directed  General 
Orders,  No.  77,  series  of  1865,  "for  reducing  the  expenses 
of  the  military  establishment"  to  be  promulgated. 

That  order  was  prepared,  personally,  by  the  Secretary, 
and  handed  to  me,  with  directions  to  change  it  as  might 
seem  necessary.  The  order,  in  its  main  feature,  was  found 
to  cover  fully  every  essential  connected  with  so  great  and 
important  an  undertaking,  and  is  here  referred  to,  as 
illustrating  the  wonderful  knowledge,  in  detail,  which 
the  distinguished  Minister  of  War  possessed  relative  to 
the  military  establishment.  He  knew  it,  intimately,  in 

[116] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

all  its  parts;  such  had  been  the  great  devotion  and  study 
given  by  him  to  the  personnel  and  materiel. 

Preliminary  orders  to  muster  out,  were  given  as  fol- 
lows: 

April  29.  All  recruits,  drafted  men,  substitutes,  and 
volunteers  remaining  at  the  several  State  depots. 

May  4.  All  patients  in  hospitals ;  except  veteran  volun- 
teers, and  the  veterans  of  the  First  Army  Corps  (Han- 
cock's). 

May  8.  All  troops  of  the  cavalry  arm,  whose  terms  of 
service  would  expire  prior  to  October  1. 

May  9.  All  officers  and  enlisted  men,  whose  terms  would 
expire  prior  to  May  31,  inclusive. 

To  cover  the  heavy  undertaking  of  disbanding  the  prin- 
cipal portion  of  the  forces,  with  their  regimental  and 
company  organizations,  General  Order,  No.  94,  from  the 
Adjutant  General's  Office,  dated  May  15,  was  promul- 
gated. 

At  the  meeting  which  decided  the  method,  the  Secre- 
tary realized  the  vastness  of  the  work  about  to  be  under- 
taken, and  the  responsibility  attaching  to  the  War 
Department.  When  informed  that  I  had  already  pre- 
pared a  method  for  effecting  the  disbandment  he  gave 
evidence  of  his  great  relief.  The  arrangements  for  the 
care  of  discharged  troops  having  been  completed,  orders 
to  muster  out,  and  -discharge  from  service  were  issued. 
The  orders  were  of  various  dates  between  May  17,  1865, 
to  July  11,  1866. 

The  rapidity  with  which  the  work  was  executed  will 
be  apparent  from  the  fact  that,  to  August  7,  640,806 
troops  had  been  mustered  out;  August  22,  719,338;  Sep- 
tember 14,  741,107;  October  15,  785,205;  November  15, 
800,963 ;  January  20,  1866,  918,722;  February  15,  952,452; 
March  10,  967,887;  May  1,  968,782;  June  30,  1,010,670; 

[117] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

November   1,   1,023,021,  leaving  then  in  service   11,043 
volunteers,  colored  and  white. 

The  command  of  Major  General  Sherman  (Army  of 
the  Tennessee  and  Army  of  Georgia)  and  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  were  first  to  complete  their  musters-out,  en- 
tirely. Regiments  began  leaving  General  Sherman's  com- 
mand, then  numbering  present  and  absent,  116,183  officers 
and  men,  from  the  rendezvous  near  Washington  on  May 
29,  and  on  August  1,  the  last  one  of  the  regiments  mus- 
tered out  left  Louisville,  Kentucky,  to  which  point  the 
command  (after  the  musters-out  therefrom  were  partly 
completed)  was  transferred,  and  the  armies  composing  it 
merged  into  one,  called  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  The 
work  of  mustering  out  the  troops  was  not  continuous — 
it  was  interrupted  and  delayed  by  the  transfer  of  the  two 
armies  from  Washington  to  Louisville  and  their  subse- 
quent consolidation. 

Regiments .  began  leaving  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
(numbering,  including  Ninth  Corps,  162,851  officers  and 
men,  present  and  absent)  from  the  rendezvous  near  Wash- 
ington on  May  29,  and  about  six  weeks  thereafter  (July 
19)  the  last  regiment  started  for  home.  During  the  inter- 
val, the  work, "like  that  of  General  Sherman's  command, 
was  not  continuous.  It  was  interrupted  and  delaj^ed  by 
the  movement  of  the  Sixth  Corps  from  Danville,  Vir- 
ginia, to  Washington,  and  the  consolidation,  by  orders  of 
June  28,  of  the  remaining  portion  of  the  army  into  a  pro- 
visional corps,  numbering,  present;  and  absent,  22,699 
officers  and  men. 

Thus  for  the  two  commands  in  question,  and  between 
May  29  and  August  12  (two  months)  279,034  officers  and 
men,  present  and  absent,  were  mustered  out  and  placed 
on  the  way  to  their  homes. 

Including  other  armies  and  departments,  the  number 

[118] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

was  increased  by  August  7  (two  months  and  seven  days) 
to  640,806  officers  and  men. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  the  forces  were 
mustered  out  mainly  by  September  14,  or  within  two  and 
one-half  months  from  the  time  the  movements  of  troops 
homeward  began.  -  The  monthly  average  during  that  time 
was  296,442. 

Had  it  been  possible  to  spare  all  the  volunteers,  the 
entire  number,  1,034,064,  could  have  been  disbanded  and 
returned  to  their  homes  within  three  months  from  the 
date  (May  29,  1865)  when  the  movement  homeward  be- 
gan. 

The  disbandment  progressed  rapidly  and  quietly,  and 
has  been  fittingly  referred  to  by  the  General  of  the  Army, 
in  his  report  of  October  20,  1865,  as  follows: 

The  reduction  of  the  army  was  now  made  by  organiza- 
tions, and  during  the  month  of  July,  the  two  most  impor- 
tant armies  in  the  country — that  of  the  Potomac  and  of 
the  Tennessee — returned  to  the  people,  from  whom  they 
had  come  four  years  before.  Since  that  time,  the  reduc- 
tion of  the  troops  left  in  the  Southern  States  to  secure 
order  and  protect  the  freemen  in  the  liberty  conferred  on 
them,  has  been  gradually  going  on,  in  proportion  as  con- 
tinued quiet  and  good  order  have  justified  it. 

On  May  1,  1865,  the  aggregate  of  the  military  force  of 
the  United  States  was  1,000,516*  men.  On  October  20 
this  had  been  reduced,  as  is  estimated,  to  210,000  and  fur- 
ther reductions  are  still  being  made. 

These  musters-out  were  admirably  conducted,  eight 
hundred  thousand  men  passing  from  the  army  to  civil 
life  so  quietly  that  it  was  scarcely  known,  save  by  the 
welcome  to  their  homes  received  by  them. 


•Subsequently  found  to  be  1,034,064. 

[120] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

LOGISTICAL  MEASURES — THE  SCIENCE  or  THE  STAFF. 
1.  Involving  the  Personnel. 

The  Adjutant  General's  Department,  and  the  Bureau 
of  the  Provost  Marshal  General,  had  to  do  with  supply- 
ing men  for  the  armies.  The  former,  in  addition,  was 
charged  with  the  organization  and  disbandment  of  the 
forces.  The  following  will  indicate  as  to  both: 

ADJUTANT  GENERAL'S  DEPARTMENT. 

The  recruitment  of  white  volunteers  was  under  the 
exclusive  control  of  the  Adjutant  General,  from  the  first 
call  for  troops  until  May,  18G3,  when  it  was  placed  under 
the  Provost  Marshal  General,  who  by  the  law  was  charged 
with  the  enrollment  and  draft;  thus  the  entire  recruiting 
service  for  white  volunteers  was  properly  placed  under 
one  head.  It  was  believed  that  the  change  would  reduce 
the  expenses  of  recruitment  through  the  more  rigid  con- 
trol secured  by  the  enrollment  act. 

The  regulations  framed  by  the  Adjutant  General's 
Officer,  for  the  volunteer  recruiting  service,  remained  in 
force,  with  but  slight  modifications,  during  the  war. 

In  addition  to  the  recruiting  of  white  volunteers,  prior 
to  May  1,  18G3,  the  Adjutant  General  was  charged  with 
the  recruitment  of  all  colored  volunteers  and  the  re-en- 
listment of  veteran  volunteers  in  the  field.  The  Adjutant 
General  had,  simply,  to  do  with  the  formal  re-enlistment 
of  the  veterans.  The  plan  for  their  recruitment  was  de- 
vised and  prepared  by  the  Provost  Marshal  General. 

The  following  is  a  summary  of  the  number: 

Militia  (3  and  9  months)  from  April  15, 

1861,  to  May  1.  1863 195,921 

Volunteers  from  Mav  3.  1861,  to  May  1, 

1863 1,149,719 

Colored  troops  during  the  war 169,624 

Total   1,515,264 

[121] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

Veteran  volunteers,  re-enlistment  in  the  field,  1863- 
'64  under  the  recruitment  system  of  the  Provost 
Marshal  General,  138.251. 

The  foregoing  involved: 

1.  The  establishment  and  management  of  the  general 
depots,  or  rendezvous  in  the  several  States,  for  collecting 
and  instructing  recruits. 

2.  The  care  of  all  recruits   (including  those  enlisted 
under  the  Provost  Marshal  General's  Bureau)  after  arriv- 
ing at  general  depot. 

3.  The  organization  of  the  recruits  for  new  commands, 
into  regiments  and  companies;  also  the  framing  of  the 
numerous  orders  and  regulations  relative  to  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  volunteer  forces,  and  the  responsibility  for 
their  enforcement. 

4.  The  forwarding  of  all  troops,  new  organizations  and 
detachments  of  recruits  for  old  ones,  to  the  field. 

5.  The  muster-in  of  commissioned  officers  and  enlisted 
men  for  all  organizations  in  the  field,  and  for  those  serv- 
ing elsewhere  under  the  control  of  commanding  generals 
of  departments.     This  important  duty,  involving  many 
difficult  questions,  upon  the  solution  of  which  depended 
the  beginning  of  pay,  or  date  of  rank,  required  at  times  a 
corps  of  two  hundred  commissaries,  and  assistant  com- 
missaries of  musters,  or  one  commissary  for  each  military 
geographical  division  and  department,  and  each  army, 
and  one  assistant  for  each  division  of  troops. 

6.  The  mustering  out  and  discharging  all  volunteers 
and  militia,  and  the  general  direction  of  them  whilst 
returning  to  their  homes. 

7.  The  charge  connected  with  a  personnel  of  1.034,004 
officers  and  enlisted  men  in  so  far  as  involved  their  mili- 
tary records.     Of  this  number,  the  records  attached  to 
90,000  commissioned  officers,  involving  leaves  of  absence, 
resignations,  dismissals,  etc. 

[122] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 
PROVOST  MARSHAL  GENERAL'S  BUREAU. 

The  following  is  a  condensed  summary  of  the  results 
of  the  operations  of  that  bureau  from  its  organization  to 
the  close  of  the  war : 

1.  By  means  of  a  full  and  exact  enrollment  of  all  per- 
sons liable  to  conscription  under  the  law  of  March  3, 
1S63,  and  its  amendments,  a  complete  exhibit  of  the  mili- 
tary resources  of  the  loyal  States  in  men  was  made  show- 
ing an  aggregate  number  of  2,254,063  men,  not  including 
1,000,516  soldiers  actually  under  arms  when  hostilities 
ceased. 

2.  There  were  1,120,621  men  raised  at  an  average  cost 
(on  account  of  recruitment,  exclusive  of  bounties)    of 
$9.84  per  man ;  while  the  cost  of  recruiting  the  1,356,593 
raised  prior  to  the  organization  of  the  bureau  was  $34.01 
per  man.    A  saving  of  70  cents  on  the  dollar  in  the  cost 
of  raising  troops  was  thus  effected  under  this  bureau, 
notwithstanding  the  increase  in  the  price  of  subsistence, 
transportation,  rents,  etc.,  during  the  last  two  years  of  the 
war. 

There,  were  'i  6,526  deserters  arrested  and  returned  to 
the  army. 

The  vigilance  and  energy  of  the  officers  of  the  bureau 
in  this  branch  of  business  put  an  effectual  check  to  the 
wide-spread  evil  of  desertion,  which  at  one  time  impaired 
so  seriously  the  numerical  strength  and  efficiency  of  the 
army. 

4.  The  quotas  of  men  furnished  by  the  various  parts  of 
the  country  were  equalized,  and  a  proportionate  share  of 
military  service  secured  from  each,  thus  removing  the 
very  serious  inequality  of  recruitment,  which  had  arisen 
during  the  first  two  years  of  the  war,  and  which  when 
the  bureau  was  organized  had  become  an  almost  insuper- 
able obstacle  to  further  progress  in  raising  troops. 

5.  Records  were  completed,  showing  minutely  the  phys- 
ical  condition   of   1,014,776   of  the  men  examined   and 
tables  of  great  scientific  and  professional  value  have  been 
compiled  from  these  data. 

6.  The  casualties  in  the  entire  military  force  of  the 

[123] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

nation  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  as  shown  by  the 
official  muster  rolls  and  monthly  returns,  have  been  com- 
piled, showing,  among  other  items,  5,221  commissioned 
officers,  and  90,868  enlisted  men  killed  in  action,  or  died 
of  wounds  while  in  service;  2,321  commissioned  officers, 
and  182,329  enlisted  men  who  died  from  disease  or  acci- 
dent; making  an  aggregate  of  280,739  officers  and  men 
of  the  Army,  who  lost  their  lives  in  service. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  the  Provost  Marshal  Gen- 
eral has  referred,  in  his  report  for  1866,  to  the  re-enlist- 
ment and  reorganization  in  1863  and  1864  of  regiments 
then  in  service  termed  after  reorganization,  "Veteran 
Volunteers,"  as  follows: 

The  loss  by  expiration  of  enlistment  of  entire  regiments 
and  companies,  after  they  had  seen  service  enough  to  be- 
come valuable  soldiers,  proved  a  serious  drawoack  to 
military  operations  during  the  first  two  years  of  the  war. 
Soon  after  the  organization  of  this  bureau  its  attention 
was  directed  to  the  discovery  and  application  of  a  remedy 
for  this  evil.  An  examination  in  the  summer  of  1863 
showed  that  of  956  volunteer  regiments,  7  independent 
battalions,  61  independent  companies,  and  158  volunteer 
batteries  then  in  service,  the  terms  of  455  regiments,  3 
battalions,  38  independent  companies,  and  81  batteries 
would  expire  prior  to  December  31,  1864,  leaving  the 
army  to  consist  at  that  date  of  501  regiments,  4  indepen- 
dent battalions,  23  independent  companies,  and  77  bat- 
teries, and  such  new  men  in  addition  as  could  be  raised 
in  the  meantime. 

The  importance  of  retaining  in  the  field  as  many  as 
possible  of  these  experienced  organizations  was  evident. 

To  effect  this  a  scheme  was  prepared  and  submitted  by 
me  for  the  re-enlistment  of  three-year  men  still  in  service, 
having  less  than  one  year  longer  to  serve,  and  of  men 
enlisted  for  nine  months- or  less,  who  had  less  than  three 
months  to  serve. 

This  plan  was  not  carried  into  effect  until  late  in  the 
autumn  of  1863,  when  the  great  campaigns  for  that  year 
had  closed,  and  the  troops  resting  from  their  labors  and 

[124] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

looking  forward  to  a  season  of  comparative  inactivity, 
were  most  anxious  to  visit  their  homes.  That  privilege 
was  guaranteed  to  them  by  your  General  Order  of  Novem- 
ber 21,  1863.  and  eminent  success  in  their  reorganization 
promptly  followed. 

By  this  expedient  over  136,000  tried  soldiers,  whose 
services  would  otherwise  have  been  lost,  were  secured, 
and  capable,  experienced  officers  continued  in  command. 
The  exact  value  of  the  services  rendered  by  any  particu- 
lar part  of  the  military  forces  may  not  be  ascertained, 
but  it  may  safely  be  asserted  that  the  veterans  thus  organ- 
ized and  retained  performed  in  the  closely  contested  cam- 
paigns subsequent  to  their  re-enlistment,  a  part  essential 
to  the  final  success  which  attended  our  arms.  In  his 
official  report  of  1864,  the  Secretary  of  War  says  in  rela- 
tion to  this  subject,  "I  know  of  no  operation  connected 
with  the  recruitment  of  the  army  which  has  resulted  in 
more  advantage  to  the  service  than  the  one  referred  to." 

The  patriotic  determination  of  these  troops  who  had 
taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  war  to  continue  it  until 
brought  to  a  satisfactory  close  was  the  foundation  of  the 
success  which  attended  this  enterprise.  Its  advantages 
were  not  only  those  resulting  from  the  actual  military 
force  thus  retained.  It  produced  a  favorable  effect  on  the 
recruiting  service  generally,  and  was  as  encouraging  to 
the  friends  of  the  Government  as  discouraging  to  the  in- 
surgents. 

The  accession  of  the  veterans  to  the  military  forces  was 
deemed  so  valuable  by  Congress,  as  to  warrant  that  body 
in  extending  thanks,  by  the  Joint  Resolution  approved 
March  3,  1864,  General  Orders,  No.  88,  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral's Office,  series  of  that  year. 

The  conditions  of  the  re-enlistment  and  the  inducements 
connected  therewith,  as  submitted  by  the  Provost  Marshal 
General,  were  promulgated  in  General  Orders,  Nos.  191 
and  376,  series  of  1863,  from  the  Adjutant  General's 
Office. 

[125] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

2.  Involving  the  Material  through  the  Supply  Depart- 
ment. 

QUARTERMASTER'S  DEPARTMENT. 

During  the  whole  war,  there  was  no  failure  of  opera- 
tions through  lack  of  transportation,  or  the  supplies 
required  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department.  Its  vast 
and  various  stores  had  not  only  to  be  ready  at  numerous 
and  widely  extended  points  when  needed,  but  it  had  to 
transport  to  all  points,  there  to  be  in  readiness  at  the 
proper  time,  the  extensive  quantities  of  provisions,  medi- 
cal and  hospital  stores,  arms  and  ammunition,  provided 
by  the  other  supply  departments. 

Brevet  Major  General  Meigs,  Quartermaster  General, 
in  his  annual  report  for  18G5,  said: 

I  have  imperfectly  set  forth  in  this  report  some  of  the 
more  important  operations  of  the  Quartermaster's  De- 
partment during  the  past  year.  I  hope  at  a  future  time 
to  be  able  to  present  to  you  more  complete  and  detailed 
information  of  the  extent  of  these  sources,  in  material 
and  men  and  money,  which,  under  your  administration 
of  the  War  Department,  have  been  applied  to  support 
and  sustain  the  armies  in  every  part  of  the  wide  field  of 
operation,  during  the  past  four  years  of  war. 

This  information,  properly  digested,  if  published,  will 
stand  before  the  world  as  an  example  and  a  warning  of 
the  power  and  resources  of  a  free  people,  for  any  contest 
into  which  they  heartily  enter,  and  from  it  the  soldier 
and  statesman  will  be  able  to  draw  valuable  lessons  for 
use,  in  case  it  ever  again  becomes  necessary  for  this  Na- 
tion to  put  forth  its  strength  in  arms. 

With  reference  to  animals  alone,  the  Department  sup- 
plied 650,000  horses  and  450,000  mules.  In  the  third 
year  the  armies  in  the  field  required  for  the  cavalry,  artil- 
lery, and  trains  one-half  as  many  animals  as  there  were 
soldiers. 

[126] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

MOVEMENTS     OF     TROOPS     LONG     DISTANCES     WITHIN     SHORT 
PERIODS  OF  TIME. 

1.  The  transfer  in  1863,  by  rail,  of  the  Eleventh  and 
Twelfth  Army  Corps,  the  command  aggregating  23,000 
men — accompanied  by  its  artillery,  trains,  animals,  and 
baggage — from  the  Rapidan,  in  Virginia,  to  Stevenson,  in 
Alabama,  a  distance  of  1,192  miles  in  seven  days,  crossing 
the  Ohio  river  twice. 

2.  The    transfer    of    the    Twenty-third  Army    Corps, 
15,000  strong,  with  its  artillery,  trains,  animals,  and  bag- 
gage, from  Clifton,  Tennessee,  by  the  Tennessee  and  Ohio 
rivers,  and  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad,  to  the  Potomac, 
in   eleven   days,   distance   1,400   miles.     This  movement 
began  on  January  15,  1865,  within  five  days  after  the 
movement  had  been  determined  in  Washington.     It  was 
continued,  by  water,  to  North  Carolina,  where,  early  in 
February,    Wilmington   was   captured.      On   March   22, 
when  the  right  wing  of  General  Sherman's  army  reached 
Goldsboro,  it  found  there  the  Corps  which  a  short  time 
prior  had  been  encamped  on  the  Tennessee. 

The  movement  was  much  impeded  by  severe  weather — 
rivers  were  blocked  with  ice,  and  railroads  rendered  haz- 
ardous by  frost  and  snow. 

3.  The  transfer,  by  water,  of  the  Sixteenth  Army  Corps 
from  Eastport,  Tennessee,  to  New  Orleans.     The  entire 
command,  including  a  brigade  of  artillery  and  a  divis- 
ion of  cavalry,  consisted  of  17,314  men,  1,038  horses, 
2,371  mules,  351  wagons,  and  83  ambulances.    Three  days 
were  required  to  embark  in  on  40  steamers.     The  fleet 
sailed  on  February  9,  1865,  and  the  command  arrived  at 
New  Orleans  on  the  23d,  a  distance  of  1,130  miles  in  13 
days. 

4.  The  transfer  by  sea,  from  City  Point,  Virginia,  to 
Texas  of  the  Twenty-fifth  Army  Corps,  25,000  strong, 

[127] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

with  its  artillery,  ammunition,  ambulances,  wagons,  har- 
ness, subsistence,  and  2,000  horses  and  mules. 

The  embarkation  took  place  between  May  26  and  June 
17,  1865,  and  the  debarkation,  at  Brazos  Santiago,  be- 
tween June  13  and  26.  The  movement  required  a  fleet 
of  57  ocean  steamers.  Entire  tonnage — 56,987  tons.  All 
of  the  vessels  were  provided  for  a  12-days'  voyage — 9-47 
tons  of  coal  and  50,000  gallons  of  water  were  consumed 
daily. 

While  this  expedition  was  afloat,  other  movements  by 
sea  in  steam  transports,  aggregated  more  than  10,000 
men,  inclusive  of  3,000  Confederate  prisoners  sent  from 
Point  Lookout  to  Mobile.  Therefore  there  were  more 
than  35,000  troops  and  prisoners  afloat  on  the  ocean  at 
the  same  time. 

5.  From  November  1,  1863,  to  October  31,  1864 — one 
year — 626,126  men  were  forwarded  to  the  field,  and  268,- 
114  were  returned  to  their  homes  on  furlough  and  for  dis- 
charge; making  the  aggregate  of  the  movement  887,240 — • 
embracing,  independently  of  recruits,  495  regiments  and 
119  batteries  and  companies.  The  following  year  the 
aggregate  was  1,064,080,  distributed  to  1,126  regiments, 
241  batteries,  and  369  companies. 

SUPPLYING  THE  ARMIES. 

The  army  of  General  Sherman — embracing  100,000 
men  and  60,000  animals — was  furnished  with  supplies 
from  a  base  360  miles  distant  by  one  single-track  railroad 
located  mainly  in  the  country  of  an  active  enemy.  The 
effort  taxed  and  measured  forethought,  energy,  patience, 
and  watchfulness,  and  is  a  most  instructive  lesson.  The 
line  was  maintained  for  months,  until  Atlanta  was  se- 
cured, and  supplies  for  a  new  campaign  had  been  placed 
there.  The  army  then  moved  southeast  through  Georgia, 

[128] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

accompanied  by  thousands  of  beef  cattle,  and  trains  em- 
bracing 3,000  wagons  filled  with  war  supplies. 

After  the  capture  of  Savannah,  the  command  was 
promptly  met  at  that  place  by  a  great  fleet,  conveying 
clothing,  tentage,  subsistence  for  soldiers  and  animals, 
wagons,  harness,  ammunition,  and  all  else  necessary  for 
the  inarch  or  in  camp. 

The  necessary  supplies  were  again  in  readiness  at  Kin- 
'ston  and  Goldsboro  through  the  agency  of  railroads  con- 
structed to  Kinston  and  to  Goldsboro  from  Wilmington 
and  Morehead  City — each  of  the  two  roads  from  the  lat- 
ter places,  respectively,  being  95  miles  in  length. 

While  the  foregoing  was  being  accomplished,  other 
large  armies  in  the  East  and  West  were  as  promptly  and 
energetically  supplied  in  all  their  wants. 

During  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1865,  the  de- 
mands for  water  transportation  required  a  fleet  of  719 
vessels  (351  steamers,  111  steam  tugs,  89  sail  vessels,  1G8 
barges)  aggregating  224,984  tons,  at  an  average  daily 
cost  of  $92,414. 

MILITARY  RAILROADS. 

The  President,  by  the  Act  of  January  31,  1862  (Gen- 
eral Order,  No.  10,  Adjutant  General's  Office  of  that 
year),  was  authorized  to  take  military  possession  of  all 
the  railroads  in  the  United  States;  but  it  was  not  found 
necessary  to  exercise  the  authority  over  any  of  the  roads 
outside  the  limits  of  insurgent  States. 

The  military  railroad  organization  (under  a  Director 
and  General  Manager — funds  for  its  support  being  sup- 
plied by  the  Quartermasters  Department),  was  designed 
to  be  a  great  construction  and  transportation  machine  for 
carrying  out  the  objects  of  the  commanding  generals  so 
far  as  it  was  adapted  to  the  purpose,  and  it  was  managed 

9  [129] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

solely  with  a  view  to  efficacy  in  that  direction.  It  was 
the  duty  of  the  Quartermaster's  Department  to  load  all 
the  material  upon  the  cars,  to  direct  where  such  material 
should  be  taken  and  to  whom  delivered.  It  then  became 
the  province  of  the  railroad  department  to  comply  with 
said  order  in  the  shortest  practicable  time,  and  to  perfect 
such  arrangements  as  would  enable  it  to  keep  the  lines 
in  repair  under  any  and  all  circumstances. 

During  the  war  there  were  employed,  419  engines  and 
G,330  cars — 2,105  miles  of  track  were  operated,  642  miles 
laid,  or  relaid;  and  twenty-six  miles  of  bridges  built,  or 
rebuilt. 

The  greatest  number  of  men  employed  at  the.  same 
time  aggregated  24,964. 

The  cost  of  construction  and  operating  amounted  to 
$42,464,142.55. 

The  Chattahoochee  bridge,  780  feet  long  and  92  feet 
high,  was  completely  built  in  4  1-2  days  by  600  men. 

The  Etowrah  bridge,  625  feet  long,  75  feet  high,  was 
burned,  and  was  rebuilt  by  the  labor  of  600  men  of  the 
construction  corps,  in  six  days. 

In  October,  1864,  Plood's  army  reached  the  rear  of 
Sherman's  forces,  first  at  Big  Shanty,  afterwards  north 
of  Resaca,  destroying  in  the  aggregate,  35  1-2  miles  of 
track,  and  455  lineal  feet  of  bridges.  Twenty-five  miles 
of  track  and  230  feet  of  bridges  were  reconstructed  and 
trains  were  run  over  the  distance  in  7  1-2  days.  In  thir- 
teen days  after  Hood  left  the  line,  trains  were  running 
over  the  entire  length. 

Numerous  other  wonderful  efforts  are  of  record  but  the 
foregoing  are  sufficient  to  illustrate  the  speed  with  which 
the  construction  corps  operated.  Commanders  had  such 
confidence  in  it,  that  in  advancing  they  were  confident 
that  the  railroads  in  their  rear  would  not  fail  to  meet  the 
wants  of  their  commands.  This  confidence  was  most  im- 

[130] 


portant  in  connection  with  lines  of  operations  lengthened 
in  depth,  and  resulted  from  the  knowledge  that  "none  of 
the  humanly  possible  precautions  for  basing"  an  army 
had  been  neglected. 

MILITARY    TELEGRAPH. 

Some  15,389  miles  were  constructed  during  the  war, 
involving  a  total  expenditure  of  $3,219,400.  At  one  time, 
in  18G5,  8,334  miles  were  in  operation.  From  May  1, 
1801,  to  December  1,  1862,  the  cost  to  maintain  was  $22,- 
000  a  month;  during  1803  and  1864  it  averaged  monthly, 
$38,500  and  $93,500,  respectively — the  total  for  the  year 
ending  June  30,  1865,  being  $1,300,000. 

It  may  be  said  that  not  far  from  1,000,000,000  tele- 
grams were  transmitted  during  the  war. 

Thousands  of  messages  were  very  lengthy,  some  em- 
bracing detailed  reports  of  important  operations  —  all 
generally  covered  urgent  and  important  subjects. 

The  operations  were  under  the  charge  of  a  Chief  of 
Military  Telegraphs — funds  for  supporting  being  furn- 
ished by  the  Quartermaster's  Department. 

SUBSISTENCE  DEPARTMENT. 

The  amount  disbursed  during  the  fiscal  years  of  the  war 
was  as  follows: 

From  July  1,  1801,  to  June  30,  1802. .  $48,799,521.14 

From  July  1,  1802,  to  June  30,  1803. .  09,537,582.78 

From  July  1,  1803,  to  June  30,  1804. .  98,000,918.50 

From  July  1,  1804,  to  June  30,  1805. .  144,782,909.41 

From  Jul>  1,  1805,  to  June  30,  1806. .  7,518,872.54 

Total    $309,305,804.37 

The  figures  indicate  the  magnitude  of  the  responsibility 
involved  in  furnishing  "a  constant,  timely,  and  adequate 
supply  of  subsistence  for  the  several  large  armies  occu- 

[131] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

pying  widely  different  fields  of  operation,  as  also  for  the 
troops  at  all  the  separate  positions  occupied  throughout 
the  entire  country." 

Good  and  wholesome  rations  were  uniformly  supplied, 
and  no  campaign,  expedition,  or  movement  failed  on  ac- 
count of  the  inability  of  the  department  to  meet  all 
proper  requirements. 

MEDICAL   DEPARTMENT. 

Ample  provision  for  the  sick  and  wounded  existed  from 
the  first.  A  maximum  of  201  general  hospitals,  with  a 
capacity  of  136,894  beds,  was  reached.  Field  hospitals, 
hospital  transports  and  cars,  ambulance  corps,  and  pur- 
veying depots  were  kept  in  full  condition  for  all  require- 
ments. Aside  from  the  vast  accommodations  elsewhere, 
bherman's  army  found  at  Savannah  four  first-class  sea- 
going steamers  complete  in  all  respects  as  hospital  trans- 
ports, with  extra  supplies  for  5,000  beds,  had  it  been  nec- 
essary to  establish  large  hospitals  on  his  line  of  opera- 
tions. 

The  personnel  embraced  appointments  of  547  surgeons 
and  assistants  of  volunteers;  5,991  regimental  surgeons 
and  assistants ;  75  acting  staff-surgeons ;  and  5,532  acting 
assistant  surgeons,  an  aggregate  from  first  to  last  of 
12,145  medical  officers. 

PAY   DEPARTMENT. 

From  early  June  to  October  31,  1865,  the  large  amount 
of  $270,000,000  was  paid  to  more  than  800,000  disbanded 
officers  and  men  of  the  volunteer  armies.  To  October  20, 
1866,  the  number  was  increased  to  $490,000,000  and  1,020,- 
000  officers  and  men.  The  labor  involved  in  the  payments 
was  stupendous.  Particularly  as  to  the  payments,  chiefly 
within  the  three  months  of  June,  July,  and  August.  1865, 
the  immensity  of  the  undertaking,  both  as  to  funds  and 
men,  has  not  a  place  in  the  history  of  armies. 

[132] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 


The  Government  had  an  abundance  of  money  where- 
with to  meet  its  sacred  obligations,  and  the  Pay  Depart- 
ment kept  its  pledge  "to  make  prompt  payments  in  the 
shortest  practicable  time." 

Brevet  Major  General  Brice,  Paymaster  General,  in 
speaking  of  the  results  has  said: 

I  am  enabled  to  reiterate  the  unprecedented  result,  that 
since  July,  18C1,  in  the  expenditure  of  one  thousand  and 
eighty-three  millions  of  dollars  disbursed  by  this  depart- 
ment, in  minute  sums,  and  surrounded  by  difficulties  and 
ha/ards,  the  total  cost  to  the  Government  in  expenses  and 
losses  of  every  character,  cannot  in  the  worst  possible 
event,  exceed  three- fourths  of  one  per  cent. 

Surely  this  is  a  cost  most  wonderfully  cheap  for  the 
execution  of  duties  so  important  and  responsible. 

It  is  much  questioned  if  there  is  another  instance  on 
record  of  public  disbursement  so  cheaply  performed. 

ORDNANCE  DEPARTMENT. 

The  resources  of  the  country  for  the  production  of  arms 
and  munitions  of  war  had  not  more  than  begun  their 
development  in  June,  18G3.  Then,  however,  they  were 
extensive,  as  indicated  by  the  following: 


Name  of  Articles. 

On  hand 
at  begin- 
ning of 
the  \Var. 

Procured 
since  \\"ar 

bcjran. 

Issued 
since  War 
began. 

On  hand 
for  issue 
June  30, 
1863. 

Siej?e  and  Sen-coast  Artillery  — 
Field  Artillery  

1,052 
231 

1,064 
2.7;J4 

2,088 
2,481 

928 

484 

437,433 

1  950  144 

1,551,576 

836  C01 

31268 

338,128 

327,170 

42,226 

Sabres  

16,9X3 

337,555 

271,817 

82671 

('tuition  Balls  and  Shells  

363  591 

2,562,744 

1,745,586 

1.180749 

Le.id  tind  Lead  Bullets,  in  pounds 

1,301,766 
28248 

71.776,774 
2  738,746 

50,0)4,515 
3  274,490 

23.024.025 
492504 

8.292,300 

522.204,816 

378,584,104 

151,913,012 

Percussion  caps  

1!',808  000 

769,475,000 

715.036,470 

74,246.530 

Frii'tion  primers  

83425 

7,004,709 

6,082.505 

1,005,629 

1,110,584 

13.424,363 

13,071,073 

1,463.874 

Saltpetre  in  pounds  

2,923.348 

5,231,731 

None. 

8,155,079 

Accoutrements  for  Infantry  — 
Accoutrements  for  Cavalry  
Equipments  for  Cavalry  horses. 
Artillery  Harness  (double)  

10,930 
4,320 
574 
.       586 

1,831,300 
194,466 
216,658 
18,666 

,680.220 
196,298 
211.670 
17,485 

162,010 
2,498 
5562 
1,767 

[133] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

When  the  war  began  the  Government  was  forced  to 
obtain  from  foreign  countries  almost  the  entire  supply 
of  arms  and  munitions,  but  in  18G3,  it  became  indepen- 
dent, through  home  resources,  both  from  the  manufac- 
tured articles  and  the  material  composing  them. 

From  January  1,  1861,  for  a  period  of  five  and  one-half 
years  inclusive  of  the  entire  war,  the  department  pro- 
vided for  the  military  service — exclusive  of  immense 
quantities  of  parts  for  repairing  and  other  purposes — the 
following : 

7,892  cannons. 
11,787  artillery  carriages. 

6,335,295  artillery  projectiles  (shot  and  shell). 
6,539,999  pounds  of  grape  and  canister  shot. 
2,862,177  rounds  of  fixed  artillery  ammunition. 
2,477,655  small   arms,  (musket,    rifles,   carbines   and 

pistols) . 

544,475  swords,  sabres,  and  lances. 
2,146,175  complete  sets  of  infantry  accoutrements. 
216,371  complete  sets  of  cavalry  accoutrements. 
539,544  complete  sets  of  horse  equipments. 
28,164  sets  of  two-horse  artillery  harness. 
732,526  horse  blankets. 
1,022,176,474  cartridges  for  small  arms. 
1,220,555,435  percussion  caps  for  small  arms. 
10,281,305  cannon  primers. 
4,226,377  fuses  for  shell. 
26,440,054  pounds  of  gunpowder. 

6,395,152  pounds  of  nitre. 
90,416,295  pounds  of  lead  in  pigs  and  bullets. 

CORPS  OF  ENGINEERS. 

Aside  from  contributing  from  its  members  to  the  com- 
mand of  armies  the  officers  of  the  corps  were  charged  with 

[134] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

important  labors  in  connection  with  the  defenses  of 
Washington  and  other  important  places;  the  reconnais- 
sance of  positions  held  by  the  enemy;  the  investment  of 
cities  and  towns;  the  fortifying  of  important  points  on 
railroads;  the  construction  of  offensive  and  defensive  for- 
tifications necessary  to  the  march  of  large  armies;  the 
manceuvering  of  pontoon  trains;  surveys  for  the  armies 
in  the  field,  and  the  sea  coast  and  lake  defenses. 

The  ability  and  efficiency  of  its  officers  were  notably 


Old    War    Department    Building. 

illustrated  in  the  construction  of  the  pontoon  bridge  (ex- 
clusive of  200  feet  of  trestle  work)  over  2,000  feet  long — 
the  main  part  in  deep  water,  in  some  places  85  feet — 
across  the  James  above  Fort  Powhatan,  by  450  men  in 
five  hours,  between  5  and  10  o'clock  p.  M.,  on  June  15, 
1864.  Over  this  single  frail  structure  passed — mainly  in 
forty  hours — the  army,  about  100,000  men,  under  Lieu- 
tenant General  Grant,  with  cavalry,  artillery,  and  infan- 

[135] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

try,  and  trains  embracing  about  5,000  wagons,  besides 
3,000  beef  cattle,  without  an  accident  to  an  individual 
man  or  animal.  This  movement,  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant on  record,  took  place  during  the  fifth  epoch  of  the 
grand  campaign  from  the  Rapidan  to  the  James  which 
opened  May  4,  1864. 

SIGNAL  SERVICE. 

This  valuable  adjunct  to  the  Army  was  composed  in 
18G5  of  102  officers,  G6  acting  officers,  84  non-commis- 
sioned officers,  and  1,266  privates,  with  labors  extending 
to  the  use  of  the  portable  field  telegraph  lines,  aerial  tel- 
egraphy, and  telescopic  reconnaissance.  In  some  depart- 
ments the  members  performed  general  scouting,  courier, 
guide,  aide,  and  secret-service  duties. 

It  was  particularly  valuable  in  observing  and  reporting 
the  changes  and  movements  of  the  enemy  and  connecting 

the  Army  and  Navy  when  employed  in  combined  opera- 
tions, thus  enabling  the  two  branches  of  the  service  to 
act  as  a  unit.  Oftentimes  the  services  were  of  vital  im- 
portance by  furnishing  information  that  could  not  have 
been  had  otherwise,  notably,  as  referred  to  by  General 
Sherman,  as  follows: 

When  the  enemy  had  cut  our  wires  and  actually  made  a 
lodgment  on  our  railroad  about  Big  Shanty,  the  signal 
officers  on  Vinings  Hill,  Kenesaw,  and  Allatoona  sent  by 
orders  to  General  Corse  at  Rome,  whereby  General  Corse 
were  enabled  to  reach  Allatoona  just  in  time  to  defend  it. 
Had  it  not  been  for  the  services  of  this  corps  on  that  oc- 
casion I  am  satisfied  we  would  have  lost  the  garrison  at 
Allatoona,  a  most  valuable  depository  of  provisions  there, 
which  was  worth  to  us  and  the  country  more  than  the 
aggregate  expense  of  the  whole  Signal  Corps  for  one 
year. 

[136] 


THE  MILITARY  POWER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES 

Again,  the  late  Brigadier-General  Myer,  as  Chief  Sig- 
nal Officer,  has  said  of  the  Signal  Corps  that  it : 

Opened  the  first  direct  communication  from  the  upper 
with  the  lower  Mississippi  when  Rear-Admiral  Farra- 
gut,  running  past  the  batteries  of  Port  Hudson,  found 
himself  after  the  perilous  passage  cut  off  above  that 
fortress  from  the  vessels  of  his  fleet,  which  could  not  fol- 
low him  and  were  lying  in  the  stream  below. 

There  is  not,  perhaps,  on  record,  a  feat  of  aerial  teleg- 
raphy  such  as  that  thus  and  then  performed,  when  from 
the  topmast  of  the  flagship  of  the  Admiral,  lying  above 
the  fort,  messages  were  regularly  transmitted  past  the 
•runs  of  the  fortress  to  a  station  on  the  top-mast  of  the 
war  vessel  Richmond  five  or  six  miles  below. 


[137] 


The  War  Hospitals. 


BY  JOHN  WELLS  BULKLEY 

i 

Surgeon  in  charge  of  Patent  Office  Hospital. 

N"  presenting  this  brief  sketch 
of  the  hospitals  of  Wash- 
ington and  their  conduct 
during  the  period  of  the 
Civil  War,  I  am  prevented, 
because  of  the  limited 
space  alloted,  from  making 
even  a  passing  reference  to 
the  many  scenes  of  pathos 
and  heroic  bravery  enacted 
within  their  walls.  What 
I  am  able  to  give  will  be, 
therefore,  more  in  the  na- 
ture of  a  summary  than  an 
attempt  to  do  justice  to  the 

countless  incidents  crowded  into  the  four  bloody  years 
of  our  civil  strife. 

The  following  list  will  show  the  capacity  of  the  gen- 
eral hospitals  in  this  city  and  vicinity  on  Necember  17, 
1865: 

No.  of  beds.  No.  occupied. 

Armory  Square,  Washington 1,000  690 

Carver,  Washington   1,300  722 

Campbell,  Washington    900  633 

Columbian,  Washington   844  538 

Douglas,  Washington  400  203 

Emory,  Washington   900  645 

Finley,  Washington 1,061  755 


Dr.  J.  W.  Bulkley. 


[138] 


THE    WAR   HOSPITALS 

No.  of  beds.  No.  occupied. 

Freedman,  Washington   72  72 

Harewood,  Washington   2,000  1,207 

Judiciary  Square,  Washington 510  311 

Kalorama,  Washington    434  54 

Lincoln,  Washington    2,575  2,012 

Mount  Pleasant,  Washington 1,618  898 

Ricord,  Washington   120  107 

Stanton,  Washington   420  266 

Stone,  Washington   * 170  139 

Seminary,   Georgetown    121  13 

Augur,  near  Alexandria 668  403 

Claremont,  Alexandria   164  34 

L'Ouverture,  Alexandria    717  617 

First  Division,  Alexandria 753  669 

Second  Division,  Alexandria 998  856 

Third  Division,  Alexandria 1,350  1,198 

Fairfax   Seminary,   Virginia 936  373 

U.  S.  General,  Point  Lookout,  Md. . .  1,400  450 


21,426       13,865 

After  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  the  inadequacy  of 
hospital  accommodations  in  the  District  of  Columbia 
was  clearly  apparent.  Indeed  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
war,  the  Washington  Infirmary,  then  under  charge  of 
Columbian  College,  was  the  only  hospital  available  in  the 
District.  It  was  a  brick  building,  three  stories  high,  with 
three  white  wings,  and  walls  rough-coated,  in  imitation 
of  stone,  on  E  Street,  in  the  rear  of  the  Court  House,  on 
Judiciary  Square.  It  was  erected  originally  as  a  jail  in 
1804,  at  least  twenty  years  before  work  was  begun  on  the 
Court  House.  Upon  the  removal  of  the  jail  to  the  "Blue 
Jug"  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Judiciary  Square,  the 
medical  department  of  Columbian  College  took  up  its 
quarters  in  the  Washington  Infirmary  in  the  year  1844, 
assuming  the  name  of  the  National  Medical  College. 

,  ,      /   '   •    /  [139] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

When  the  Sixth  Massachusetts  Kegiment  was  mobbed 
in  Baltimore  in  April,  18C1,  the  wounded  of  that  com- 
mand were  taken  to  this  infirmary,  which  was  used  as  a 
military  hospital  from  that  date  until  it  was  destroyed 
by  fire  on  November  3,  1861.  During  the  greater  part  of 
that  time  Dr.  W.  J.  H.  White,  an  assistant  surgeon  of  the 
United  States  Army,  was  in  charge.  The  demands  upon 
the  hospital,  however,  soon  became  so  great  that  addi- 
tional accommodations  were  required,  and  shortly  after 
the  E  Street  Baptist  Church  was  pressed  into  service  as 
an  adjunct,  with  Dr.  White  in  charge.  Its  use  was  con- 
tinued until  December  26,  1861,  when,  on  the  burning  of 
the  infirmary,  the  school  building  in  Judiciary  Square, 
between  F  and  G  Streets,  and  facing  on  Fifth  Street,  was 
opened  by  Dr.  White,  and  saw  service  until  the  follow- 
ing January.  It  became  necessary  after  the  destruction 
of  the  infirmary  to  convert  the  dwelling  known  as  461 
E  Street  into  a  hospital,  and  its  occupancy  continued 
until  the  following  January.  In  order  to  meet  the  re- 
quirements of  the  situation  various  public  buildings  were 
made  into  barracks  and  hospitals,  and  even  the  Capitol 
was  used  as  a  huge  storehouse  for  flour  and  provisions  of 
war,  as  well  as  for  quartering  of  troops.  From  Septem- 
ber 20  to  November,  1862,  Surgeon  Edward  Shippen, 
U.  S.  V.,  conducted  a  hospital  within  the  marble  halls  of 
that  immense  structure.  As  with  the  Capitol  so  was  it 
with  other  public  buildings.  From  time  to  time  soldiers 
had  been  assigned  to  the  northwest  wing  of  the  Patent 
Office  building,  and  then  in  turn  it  was  made  a  resting 
place  for  the  sick,  wounded,  and  dying  soldiers.  Its  use 
under  the  name  of  the  Patent  Office  Hospital  was  con- 
tinued from  October,  1861,  to  March,  1863.  The  sur- 
geons in  charge  were  Drs.  John  Wells  Bulkley,  John  N. 

[140] 


THE   WAR    HOSPITAIJ3 

(ircen,  J.  C.  C.  Downing,  J.  J.  Woodward,  A.  Thompson, 
J.  D.  Robinson,  and  G.  W.  Hoover. 

The  churches,  too,  irrespective  of  creed,  were  used  for 
similar  purposes,  among  them  Ascension  (Episcopal), 
tl ifii  on  the  south  side  of  H  Street,  between  Ninth  and 
Tenth  Streets,  from  July,  18G2,  to  March,  1863,  with 
burgeon  J.  C.  Dorr,  U.  S.  V.,  in  charge;  the  Methodist 
Episcopal,  South,  (now  a  Jewish  Synagogue),  on  Eighth 
Street,  between  II  and  I  Streets,  N.  W..  also  in  charge  of 

9  f  J  O 

Dr.  Dorr  from  July,  18G2,  for  several  months;  Epiphany 
(Episcopal),  on  G  Street,  between  Thirteenth  and  Four- 
teenth Streets,  from  July  to  December,  1862,  in  charge 
of  Surgeon  James  Bryan,  U.  S.  V.;  and  the  Unitarian 
Church  (now  Police  Court  building,  Sixth  and  D 
Streets),  which  then  was  known  as  Cranch  Hospital,  and 
was  occupied  from  August  to  November,  1862,  Edward 
Brooks,  Assistant  Surgeon,  U.  S.  A.,  and  A.  Wynkoop, 
Surgeon.  U.  S.  V.,  being  in  charge.  Ryland  (Methodist 
Episcopal),  on  Tenth  and  D  Streets,  S.  W.,  was  simi- 
larly used  from  July,  1862,  to  January,  1863,  having  dur- 
ing that  period  J.  Nichols,  V.  B.  Hubbard,  and  R.  O. 
Abbott  in  charge.  The  Union  (Methodist  Episcopal), 
on  Twentieth  Street,  between  Penns}Tlvania  Avenue  and 
H  Street,  was  so  occupied  from  July  to  December,  1862, 
with  W.  H.  Butler,  assistant  army  surgeon,  in  charge. 
Trinity  (Episcopal),  on  Third  and  C  Streets,  N.  W., 
from  July,  1862,  to  April,  1863,  with  G.  W.  Hatch  and 
P.  O.  Williams,  assistant  army  surgeons,  in  charge,  was 
also  used,  as  well  as  the  Fourth  Presbyterian,  on  Ninth, 
near  G  Street,  N.  W.,  from  July,  1862,  to  March,  1863; 
and  the  Presbyterian  Church,  on  Bridge  Street,  George- 
town, from  September  5,  1862,  to  December,  1862,  with 
B.  A.  Clements  and  Bolivar  Knickerbocker  in  charge; 
also  Dumbarton  (Methodist  Episcopal)  Georgetown, 

[141] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

from  October,  18G2,  to  January,  18G3,  with  H.  L.  Burnett 
and  A.  E.  Caruthers  in  charge;  Trinity  (Catholic),  on 
Lingan  Street,  Georgetown,  from  October,  1862,  to  Janu- 
ary, 1863,  with  M.  F.  Bowers,  army  surgeon,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Thirteenth  Pennsylvania  Regiment,  and  R.  O. 
Abbott,  surgeon,  U.  S.  A.,  in  charge.  Finally  the  Eben- 
ezer  (Methodist  Episcopal),  now  Fourth  Street,  East 
Washington,  from  July  to  December,  1862,  with  W.  E. 
AVaters  and  S.  A.  H.  McKim  in  charge;  Grace  (Episco- 
pal), D  and  Eighth  Streets,  S.  W.,  from  July  to  Decem- 
ber, 1862,  with  the  surgeons  who  attended  Ryland  Hos- 
pital, in  charge,  and  the  Thirteenth  Street  (First)  Bap- 
tist (now  Builders'  Exchange),  opened  and  closed  with 
Epiphany. 

Drs.  W.  S.  Jandt  and  W.  E.  Waters,  from  July,  1862, 
to  March,  1863,  conducted  a  hospital  in  what  was  known 
as  Caspari's  Hotel,  a  three-story  brick  house  on  A  Street, 
between  New  Jersey  Avenue  and  First  Street,  S.  E. 
After  its  use  for  that  purpose  it  was  demolished  to  make 
room  for  the  further  extension  of  the  Capitol  grounds. 

In  May,  1861,  there  was  opened  on  First  Street,  between 
C  and  D  Streets,  N.  E.,  a  smallpox  hospital,  or  hospital 
for  eruptive  diseases.  Assistant  Surgeon  R.  J.  Thomas 
was  in  charge,  and  one  of  the  nurses  was  Mrs.  Ada  Spur- 
geon.  The  building  was  a  private  residence  and  its 
smallpox  and  other  patients  having  been  removed  to  the 
Kalorama  Hospital,  wards  were  added  to  it  and  its  name 
was  changed  to  the  C  Street  Hospital.  It  was  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  T.  M.  Getty,  U.  S.  A.,  whose  successor, 
Dr.  A.  L.  Ingraham,  served  until  August,  1861,  when  the 
hospital  doors  were  closed. 

The  old  Kalorama  mansion,  then  in  an  apparent  wil- 
derness, but  now  in  the  heart  of  the  fashionable  residence 
section  of  the  city,  was  used  as  the  eruptive  fever  hos- 

[142] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

pital,  and  upon  its  grounds  were  erected  frame  wards  and 
tents.  Dr.  Thomas  served  as  its  director  until  December, 
18G5,  followed  by  Dr.  Thomas  McKenzie,  until  June, 
186G,  and  Dr.  Alfred  Thomas  until  December  of  the  same 
year. 

At  the  northwest  corner  of  Massachusetts  Avenue  and 
Fourteenth  Street  was  Desmarre's  Eye  and  Ear  Hos- 
pital, in  what  was  known  as  the  Hill  residence.  It  was 
under  the  supervision  of  Surgeon  General  John  S.  Hil- 
dreth,  U.  S.  V.,  from  March,  18G3,  to  December,  18G5. 
As  the  demands  increased  it  became  necessary  to  use  not 
only  the  house  itself,  but  the  vacant  ground  in  the  vicin- 
ity was  also  utilized  for  hospitals  and  tents. 

At  the  intersection  of  Virginia  Avenue  and  D  Street, 
west  of  Sixth  Street,  S.  W.,  was  Island  Hall  Hospital, 
with  Dr.  William  Hayes,  U.  S.  V.,  in  charge,  in  July, 
18G2,  and  he  continued  to  direct  it  until  the  March  fol- 
lowing. 

The  site  where  now  stands  the  Tremont  House  was  used 
as  a  hospital  from  July,  1862,  to  April,  1863.  It  had  been 
the  home  of  the  National  Era,  and  from  it  was  first  pub- 
lished the  National  Republican. 

Dr.  S.  A.  H.  McKim,  in  July,  1862,  opened  the  Odd 
Fellows'  Hall  on  Eighth  Street,  between  G  and  I  Streets, 
S.  E.,  as  a  hospital.  His  successor  was  Dr.  W.  E.  Waters, 
assistant  surgeon,  U.  S.  A.  The  main  halls,  as  well  as  the 
lodge  room,  were  used  as  wards. 

During  the  early  part  of  the  War,  the  Sixty-ninth  New 
York  Regiment  was  quartered  in  the  building  of  George- 
town College,  which  first  was  used  as  a  hospital  under 
the  care  of  Assistant  Surgeon  B.  A.  Clements,  U.  S.  A., 
on  September  5,  1862.  It  was  closed  on  February  1, 
1863,  J.  Morris  Browne,  assistant  surgeon,  U.  S.  A.,  being 
then  in  charge. 

[144] 


THE   WAR    HOSPITALS 

Surgeons  Clements  and  M.  F.  Bowers,  from  September 
to  October,  1862,  conducted  a  hospital  in  Waters'  Ware- 
house, on  High  Street,  below  Bridge  or  M  Street,  George- 
town. 

The  good  people  of  the  congregation  of  St.  Aloysius 
erected  a  hospital  by  that  name,  in  October,  18G2.  The 
Government  had  in  anticipation  the  use  of  the  church 
for  a  hospital,  but  the  congregation,  to  prevent  the  con- 
version of  the  edifice  for  that  purpose,  agreed  to  provide 
suitable  quarters  instead  of  the  church.  The  proposi- 
tion proving  acceptable  to  the  Government,  there  was 
erected  on  North  Capitol,  K,  L,  and  First  Streets,  N.  W., 
one  of  the  largest  hospitals  in  Washington.  Its  opera- 
tions continued  for  some  years  after  the  war. 

Miss  English  had  conducted  for  some  time,  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Washington  and  Gay  Streets,  a 
seminary  for  young  ladies.  On  June  30,  1861,  this  build- 
ing became  a  hospital  and  continued  to  remain  so  until 
June  14,  1865.  It  was  successively  in  charge  of  Joseph 
R.  Smith,  assistant  surgeon,  U.  S.  A.,  and  Assistant 
Surgeons  Josiah  F.  Kennedy,  B.  A.  Clements,  L.  Wells, 
and  H.  W.  Ducashet. 

Hotels,  as  well  as  churches,  schools,  and  private  resi- 
dences, opened  their  doors  for  the  wounded,  and  Union 
Hospital  proper,  at  the  corner  of  Bridge,  or  M  Street 
and  Washington  Street,  Georgetown,  was,  in  May,  1861, 
converted  into  a  hospital,  and  so  continued  until  March, 
1863,  under  the  charge  of  Drs.  J.  J.  Gainslen,  A.  M. 
McLaren,  R.  O.  Abbott,  Josiah  F.  Kennedy,  U.  S.  A., 
A.  M.  Clark  and  G.  W.  Stipp,  U.  S.  V. 

Many  citizens  will  readily  recall  the  attractive  loca- 
tion of  Columbian  College,  now  Columbian  University, 
on  the  high  grounds  of  Fourteenth  Street,  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Mount  Pleasant.  On  this  commanding  site 

10  [145] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

was  established  on  July  14,  1861,  the  Columbian  College 
Hospital,  consisting  of  wooden  buildings  and  tents.  Its 
surgeons  were  Eugene  H.  Abadie,  U.  S.  A.,  Thomas  C. 
Brainard,  W.  M.  Xotson,  Charles  Page,  assistant  surgeon, 
U.  S.  A.,  and  Thomas  K.  Crosby,  U.  S.  V.  The  use  of 
the  hospital  was  continued  until  June,  1865. 

On  the  beautiful  site  where  now  stands  St.  Elizabeth's 
Hospital  for  the  Insane,  there  was,  from  December  2, 
1862,  to  December,  1864,  an  army  hospital  known  as  St. 
Elizabeth's,  occupying  the  then  new  east  wing  of  the 
main  building.  Drs.  C.  H.  Nichols,  B.  M.  Stevens  and 
E.  Griswold,  at  various  intervals,  had  charge  of  this 
establishment. 

In  June,  1861,  Assistant  Surgeon  J.  V.  D.  Middleton, 
and  in  turn  Drs.  J.  J.  Porter,  J.  R.  Gibson,  G.  L.  Porter, 
U.  S.  A.,  and  Alfred  Delany  wore  caring  for  the  wounded 
in  a  post  hospital  known  us  Washington  Barracks,  located 
at  the  Arsenal. 

As  the  demands  of  the  war  increased,  and  as  its  con- 
tinuance for  an  indefinite  time  became  more  and  more 
apparent,  all  varieties  of  buildings  were  offered  to  the 
Government  for  hospitals,  and  in  many  instances  private 
dwellings  were  taken  for  that  purpose.  This  was  the 
case  with  Desmarre's  Ej-e  and  Ear  Hospital,  at  the 
corner  of  Fourteenth  Street  and  Massachusetts  Avenue, 
which  has  already  been  mentioned. 

Another  excellent  instance  of  the  use  of  private  dwell- 
ings may  be  found  in  the  Douglas  Hospital,  a  handsome 
residence  on  Second  and  I  Streets  N".  W.  Others  also 
were  used  for  the  purpose  indicated,  notably  the  Stone 
residence,  the  home  of  William  J.  Stone,  opposite  the  then 
Columbian  College  grounds.  It  was  opened  in  April, 
1862,  and  closed  in  June,  1865.  The  surgeons  were  Prs, 


[146] 


THE   WAR    HOSPITALS 

B.  E.  Fryer,  P.  Glennan,  C.  A.  McCall,  and  J.  D.  Rich- 
ards. 

The  Douglas  Hospital,  to  which  reference  has  previ- 
ously been  made,  was  under  the  direction  of  Surgeon 
Almdie,  U.  S.  A.,  and,  in  turn,  Assistant  Surgeons  Warren 
Webster,  Peter  Pineo,  William  Thompson,  and  W.  F. 
Morris,  controlled  its  destinies.  It  was  closed  in  Septem- 
ber, 1865. 

The  Circle  Hospital  was  established  in  September, 
1801,  and  was  in  use  for  over  a  year,  in  charge  of  Sur- 
geons L.  H.  Holden  and  Henry  Bryant.  Its  location  was 
south  of  Washington  Circle,  between  Twenty-second  and 
Twenty-third  Streets. 

Surgeons  O.  O.  Judson,  C.  P.  Russell,  and  P.  S.  Con- 
ner were  in  charge  of  the  Carver  Hospital,  a  collection  of 
frame  wards  and  tents,  in  the  north  corner  of  the  site 
then  occupied  by  the  Columbian  University. 

In  the  suburbs,  to  the  west  of  Columbia  Road,  was  the 
Cliffburne  Hospital,  where  John  S.  Billings,  assistant 
surgeon,  U.  S.  A.,  and  Henry  Bryant,  surgeon,  U.  S.  V., 
attended  the  wounded  and  afflicted. 

At  no  great  distance  from  Cliffburne  and  on  Mount 
Pleasant  on  the  Holmead  estate  was  a  hospital  of  frame 
buildings  and  tents  cared  for  by  the  following  surgeons: 
Drs.  B.  E.  Fryer,  from  April  to  July,  1862;  C.  A.  McCall, 
to  November,  1864,  and  Harrison  Allen,  to  August,  1865. 
Mount  Pleasant  Hospital  was  in  use  for  three  years,  from 
April,  1862,  to  August,  1865. 

The  Government  erected,  a  few  years  before  the  war, 
for  the  military  companies  of  the  District,  a  building 
on  Sixth  and  B  Streets,  S.  W.,  now  used  by  the  Fish 
Commission.  It  was  originally  designed  for  the  National 
Guard  Battalion.  The  United  States  Engineer  Battalion 
from  Willets  Point,  which  took  part  in  the  Inauguration 

[U7] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

of  President  Lincoln,  occupied  this  building  from  time 
to  time. 

In  1862  eight  frame  wards  fronting  on  Seventh  Street, 
were  erected,  and  these,  with  the  buildings,  were  known 
as  the  Armory  Square  Hospital,  the  whole  being  under 
the  direction  of  Dr.  D.  W.  Bliss,  then  a  surgeon  of  a 
Michigan  regiment,  who  afterwards  became  famous  as 
surgeon-in-chief  in  charge  of  President  Garfield  during 
his  last  illness.  Dr.  Bliss  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  C.  C. 
Byrne  and  Dr.  C.  A.  Leale. 

Two  of  the  most  commodious  hospital  structures  in  the 
District  were  the  Emory  Hospital,  about  one  mile  east 
of  the  Capitol,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Alms  House  and 
Congressional  Cemetery  and  the  Lincoln  Hospital,  also  in 
that  neighborhood. 

The  former  was  opened  in  September,  1862,  and  con- 
tinued until  July,  1865,  under  the  direction  of  Drs.  N.  R. 
Moseley,  W.  Clendenin  and  W.  E.  Waters.  Lincoln 
Hospital  contained  twenty-five  wards  or  more,  arranged 
en  echelon.  Upon  its  opening  Surgeon  Henry  Bryant  was 
in  charge,  and  he  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  G.  S.  Palmer, 
Harrison  Allen,  Robert  Bartholow,  J.  Cooper  McKee, 
and  Webster  Lindsley. 

On  the  farm  of  W.  W.  Corcoran,  on  Seventh  Street 
Road,  near  Soldiers'  Home,  was  located  Harewood,  a 
makeshift  of  frame  wards  and  tents.  Its  period  of  ser- 
vice was  from  September,  1862,  to  May,  1866,  under  the 
successive  charge  of  Surgeon  F.  E.  Mitchell,  First  Mary- 
land Regiment,  Dr.  Thomas  Antisell  and  Robert  E. 
Bontecou. 

On  Boundary  Street,  at  the  northern  limit  of  Fifth 
and  Sixth  streets^  N.  W.,  Surgeon  Jeddidiah  H.  Baxter, 
U.  S.  V.,  opened  what  was  known  as  the  Campbell  Hos- 
pital, and  continued  in  charge  of  it  for  a  year.  He  was 

[148] 


THE   WAR    HOSPITALS 

succeeded  by  Dr.  A.  F.  Selden,  U.  S.  V.,  who  then  re- 
mained until  the  hospital  was  closed  in  July,  1865,  the 
buildings  being  transferred  to  the  Bureau  of  Refugees, 
Freedmen,  etc.,  and  opened  as  Freedmen's  Hospital. 

The  square  between  H  and  I  and  Second  and  Third 
Streets,  N.  W.,  was  occupied  by  the  Stanton  Hospital, 
from  December,  1862,  to  October,  1865.  Drs.  J.  A.  Lidell, 
G.  A.  Miersick,  and  B.  B.  Wilson,  were  the  surgeons  in 
the  order  named. 

North  of  Boundary  Street,  on  the  Bladensburg  Road, 
near  Kendall  Green,  were  a  number  of  wards,  supple- 
mented by  office  and  other  buildings,  and  tents,  designated 
as  the  Finley  Hospital,  in  charge,  from  July,  1862,  to 
1865,  of  Drs.  R.  A.  Bradley,  Jr.,  and  G.  L.  Pancoast. 

Below  are  given  the  buildings  used  as  hospitals  in 
Alexandria,  with  their  location:  Bayne's  residence, 
Water  and  King  Streets;  Bellhaven  Female  Institute, 
Queen  and  St.  Asaph  Streets;  Mrs.  Beverley's,  Washing- 
ton between  Oronoco  and  Princess  Streets;  a  building  on 
Cameron  near  Water  Street;  Grace  Church,  Patrick 
Street;  Friends'  Meeting  House,  St.  Asaph  and  Wolfe 
Streets;  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South;  Second 
Presbyterian  Church;  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church;  Com- 
missary Hospital,  Prince  Street;  Mrs.  Daingerfield's, 
Wolfe  and  Pitt  Streets;  Female  Boarding  School,  Wash- 
ington, between  Green  and  Cameron  Streets;  W.  H. 
Fowle's  residence;  B.  Hallowell's  residence;  J.  S.  Hallo- 
well's  Female  Seminary;  Rev.  J.  T.  Johnson's,  Prince 
Street  near  Columbus;  L'Ouverture,  Washington  and 
Prince  Streets ;  Lyceum,  Washington  and  Prince  Streets  ; 
Mansion  House;  McVeigh's  residence,  St.  Asaph  and 
Cameron  Streets ;  and  T.  B.  Robertson's  residence,  Prince 
and  Columbia  Streets. 

I  have  endeavored  to  give  in  brief  and  condensed  form 

[149] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

some  of  the  most  important  hospitals  in  operation  at 
various  periods  during  the  war.  Such  as  have  been 
omitted  are  herewith  subjoined: 

There  was  a  United  States  Army  Hospital  in  the  Eck- 
ington  or  Gales  Mansion,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Bladens- 
burg  Road. 

Among  the  general  hospitals  may  be  enumerated  Eben- 
ezer  (Ebenezer  Church)  ;  Ricord,  same  as  Desmarre's; 
and  Giesboro  at  Giesboro  Point,  D.  C. 

Among  the  Post  Hospitals  were:  Camp  Stoneman 
(Cavalry  depot  at  Giesboro  Point)  ;  Martindale  barracks, 
at  intersection  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Hampshire 
Avenues  and  Twenty-third  Street,  running  to  Twenty- 
second  and  I  Streets;  Rush  barracks,  in  White  House 
grounds,  south  of  Executive  Mansion ;  Re}'nolds  barracks, 
in  White  House  grounds,  south  of  Executive  Mansion; 
Camp  Fry,  same  as  Martindale  barracks;  Sedgwick  bar- 
racks, between  Eighteenth  and  Nineteenth,  M  and  N 
Streets;  Sherburne  barracks,  First  and  E  Streets,  S.  E., 
at  the  intersection  of  North  Carolina  and  New  Jersey 
Avenues;  Russell,  same  as  Sherburne;  Wisewell,  Seventh 
and  O  Streets,  running  to  P  and  Q  Streets;  Camp  Barry, 
artillery  camp  of  instruction,  Corcoran  Farm,  H  Street, 
N.  E.,  near  the  Toll  Gate;  Camp  Ohio  Hospital,  near 
Tennallytown,  D.  C. ;  Williams  barracks,  same  as  Sedg- 
wick barracks;  United  States  barracks,  Eighth  Street, 
S.  E.,  near  Navy  Yard;  and  Engineer  Brigade  Hospital, 
I  Street,  S.  E.,  near  Navy  Yard. 

As  may  be  readily  supposed,  during  the  early  part  of 
the  war  the  hospital  arrangements  were  anything  but 
perfect,  but  in  a  comparatively  little  while,  under  strict  mil- 
itary discipline,  places  that  hitherto  had  hardly  been  deem- 
ed possibilities  as  abodes  for  the  sick  and  wounded  were 
made  most  acceptable  and  comfortable  for  those  in  need 

[150] 


THE   WAB   HOSPITALS 

of  medical  and  surgical  advice.  In  a  number  of  instances 
the  surgeons  encouraged  for  convalescent  patients  such 
amusements  as  would  be  of  beneficial  effect  to  their  minds. 
Acting  by  amateurs  of  ability,  singing  and  dancing,  and 
diversified  forms  of  amusement  were  introduced  to  help 
pass  away  the  weary  hours  of  hospital  detention.  It  is 
rivalled  that  at  the  Campbell  Hospital  a  theatrical  party, 
under  an  actor  namel  White,  gave  weekly  entertainments 
which  were  attended  by  Senators,  Representatives,  and 
prominent  Government  dignitaries.  Senator  Poland, 
Lester  Wallack,  James  E.  Murdock,  and  Mrs.  Mayo  at- 
tended and  were  very  complimentary  in  their  comments 
upon  the  performance  and  the  actors.  There  were  hours 
set  aside  for  the  reception  of  visitors.  The  hearts  of  the 
\\oiindod  were  made  glad  by  fruit,  flowers,  or  reading 
matter,  and  a  number  of  marriages  grew  out  of  these  sym- 
pathetic visitations. 

The  church  buildings  in  use  as  hospitals,  with  the 
exception  of  a  very  few  instances,  may  be  easily  recog- 
nized, but  the  barracks  have  almost  altogether  disap- 
peared. The  hospitals  of  the  latter  period  of  the  war 
were  vast  improvements  over  those  occupied  during  the 
early  days  of  the  struggle. 

At  the  inception  of  the  Civil  War,  when  the  sick  in 
the  regimental  hospitals  exceeded  their  capacity,  resi- 
dences in  the  neighborhood  were  usually  turned  into  hos- 
pitals, and  churches,  factories  and  other  large  buildings 
were  made  into  brigade  or  general  hospitals. 

The  Medical  and  Surgical  History  of  the  War  pre- 
pared under  the  direction  of  the  Surgeon  General  of  the 
United  States  Army  is  a  fine  exposition  of  this  important 
branch  of  the  military  operations  of  the  Civil  War. 

The  first  military  hospitals  opened  were  in  Washing- 
ton. The  E  Street  Infirmary  and  the  Union  Hotel  both 

[151] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

received  patients  as  early  as  May,  1861.  Owing  to  the 
large  movement  of  troops  the  demand  for  increased  ac- 
commodations reached  such  proportions  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  enlarge  the  quarters  of  buildings  occupied  as  hos- 
pitals by  pitching  tents  in  the  immediate  vicinity  so  as 
to  form  a  series  of  elongated  pavilions.  At  a  later  period 
the  tents  were  replaced  by  long  wooden  pavilions.  The 
best  arrangement  of  these  buildings  on  the  ground  and 
their  design  were  made  the  subject  of  much  study  and 
experiment.  Early  during  the  war  it  was  found  that 
ridge-ventilated  wooden  sheds  for  hospital  purposes  re- 
sulted in  maintaining  a  good  ventilation  without  exposing 
the  patients  to  draughts.  It  was  found  impossible  to 
construct  entirely  new  buildings  in  every  instance,  as  the 
necessities  of  the  times  demanded  that  buildings  aban- 
doned as  barracks  should  be  used  for  hospital  purposes. 
The  defects  in  the  construction  of  these  buildings  ren- 
dered them  undesirable  for  such  purposes,  and  their 
relative  positions  one  to  another  constituted  another  ob- 
jectionable feature.  During  the  winter  of  1861-'62, 
through  the  efforts  of  the  Sanitary  Commission,  the 
Government  was  induced  to  begin  the  building  of  hos- 
pitals on  the  pavilion  plan.  The  Judiciary  Square  and 
Mount  Pleasant  Hospitals  were  erected  in  accordance 
with  that  plan,  and  finished  for  occupation  in  April,  1862. 
Each  of  these  buildings  consisted  of  an  elongated  central 
structure,  on  either  side  of  which  and  at  right  angles  to  it 
were  pavilion  wards.  In  the  central  structure  or  corridor 
were  the  bathrooms,  water  closets,  water  sinks,  etc.,  so 
arranged  that  each  ward  was  connected  with  its  own 
conveniences.  There  were  two  sets  of  windoAvs  in  each 
ward.  The  buildings  were  not  ceiled  nor  plastered.  It 
was  soon  recognized  that  this  style  of  building  was  a 
failure  for  several  reasons.  Gradually  the  inclosed  corri- 

[152] 


THE    WAR    HOSPITALS 

dor  gave  place  to  a  covered  walk,  open  at  the  sides. 
Finally,  the  plan  adopted  as  the  most  desirable  was  the 
erection  of  detached  pavilions,  which  were  to  be  arranged 
en  echelon  in  two  converging  lines,  forming  a  V,  as  was 
done  with  the  Harewood  and  Lincoln  Hospitals  in  this 
city,  or  as  a  half  circle,  or  on  lines  parallel  to  each  other, 
or  in  such  other  arrangement  as  the  particular  site  re- 
quired. 

What  I  have  submitted  will  prove  to  many  unac- 
quainted with  the  conditions  during  the  Civil  War  a  dry 
presentation  of  facts.  To  the  old  soldier,  however,  to 
those  who,  by  reason  of  wounds  or  general  disability,  were 
compelled  to  undergo  hospital  treatment,  the  summary 
here  given  will,  I  believe,  bs  interesting  reading,  recalling 
vividly  memorable  incidents  in  their  lives  and  many  mem- 
ories associated  with  the  trying  scenes  of  our  civil  strife. 


Campbell  General  Hospital. 


[153] 


The    Humanities  of  War. 


BY  WILLIAM  JONES  RHEES 

Archivist  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution. 

ATTLES,  battle-fields,  cap- 
tains, commanders,  deeds  of 
daring  or  endurance  are  the 
topics  mainly  treated  in  this 
memorial  of  the  war,  but  con- 
sideration is  also  required  of 
another  and  equally  import- 
ant side  of  the  conflict. 

Many    volumes    and    thou- 
sands of  pages  of  official  re- 
ports, biographies,  newspaper 
and    magazine    articles    have 
recounted  the  work  of  those 
who  aided  the  army  by  ministrations  of  love  and  charity 
and  the  self-sacrificing  devotion  of  noble  men  and  women 
whose  services  are  equally  entitled  to  honor  and  recogni- 
tion as  those  who  gave  themselves  in  battle  to  preserve 
the  Union  and  maintain  our  free  republic. 
The  "humanities"  may  be  considered  as: 
Improvement  of  the  sanitary  condition  of  camps; 
Provision  for  medical  and  surgical  treatment; 
Aid  to  the  wounded  and  dying ; 

Supplies  of  necessities  and  luxuries  to  camps  and  hos- 
pitals ; 

Reading  matter  furnished; 

Material  for  correspondence  and  facilities  for  forward- 
ing mails ; 

[154] 


General   E.   D.   Townsend. 


HUMANITIES  OF  WAR 

Preaching  and  religious  and  other  services  and  per- 
sonal conversation; 

Publication  of  matter  to  arouse  the  sympathies  and 
secure  contributions  from  the  public; 

Formation  and  preservation  of  sentiments  of  loyalty  to 
the  flag  and  Union; 

Aid  to  soldiers  in  securing  their  claims  for  compensa- 
tion and  pensions  from  the  Government. 

Necessarily  many  of  these  functions  were  performed  by 
a  number  of  different  agencies  and  some  of  them  by  all, 
so  that  the  recital  of  the  work  of  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  the  Christian  Commission,  the  Sanitary 
Commission,  etc.,  will  be  in  some  sense  a  repetition. 

The  leading  features  and  events  of  the  prominent  or- 
ganizations  will  be  given,  and  they  will  serve  to  illustrate 
the  whole  subject. 

On  April  12,  1861,  a  telegram  was  sent  to  the  Governors 
of  the  Northern  States  that  "The  war  is  commenced.  The 
batteries  [at  Charleston]  began  firing  at  4  o'clock  this 
morning.  Major  Anderson  [from  Fort  Sumter]  replied, 
and  a  brisk  cannonading  commenced." 

This  startling  intelligence  was  soon  heard  through  the 
country  and  the  appeal  to  arms  was  at  once  accepted,  how- 
ever much  it  had  been  deprecated. 

Among  the  first  to  respond  were  the  Ringgold  Light 
Artillery  of  Heading,  the  Logan  Guards  of  Lewistown, 
the  Washington  Artillery  and  National  Light  Infantry 
of  Pottsville,  and  the  Allen  Rifles  of  Allentown,  Penn- 
sylvania. These  companies  proceeded  to  Harrisburg  on 
April  16  and  were  joined  on  the  18th  by  a  detachment  of 
40  Regulars  of  Company  H,  Fourth  Artillery.  The  five 
companies  were  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  and  with  the  few  regulars  left  Harrisburg  at 
9  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  April  18,  the  latter  proceed- 

[155] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

ing  to  Fort  McHenry.  The  others  arrived  in  Baltimore 
at  1  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  marched  across  that 
city,  passing  through  an  immense  mob  of  sullen  and  angry 
men.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  of  these  five  companies 
of  soldiers,  only  thirty-four  men  had  muskets  and  there 
was  not  a  single  charge  of  powder.  The  men  placed  per- 
cussion caps  in  their  guns  and  by  showing  a  bold  front 
intimidated  the  crowd  who  had  not  then  reached  the 
decision  which  led  to  open  violence  on  the  day  following. 

At  7  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  April  18,  the  head  of  the 
grand  column  of  two  million  of  men  who  were  afterward 
mustered  in  and  marched  in  their  footprints  arrived  in 
Washington  and  were  quartered  in  the  United  States 
Capitol  building.  Here  they  were  furnished  with  arms, 
ammunition,  and  equipments,  and  the  work  at  once  begun 
of  barricading  the  Capitol  with  barrels  of  cement  and 
large  sheets  of  boiler  iron. 

As  early  as  March  18,  1861,  a  resolution  was  adopted 
by  the  Washington  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
to  provide  for  the  distribution  of  tracts  among  the  regular 
soldiers  then  in  the  city. 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  Pennsylvania  volunteers  ar- 
rived in  April  the  Association  provided  them  with  Testa- 
ments and  tracts,  appointed  a  special  missionary,  Rev. 
O.  P.  Pitcher,  to  visit  them,  invited  them  to  call  at  the 
rooms  of  the  Association,  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue,  be- 
tween Sixth  and  Seventh  Streets,  and  by  means  of  a  sys- 
tem of  districting  the  city  already  established,  secured 
attention  to  every  camp  and,  subsequently,  every  hospital 
and  depot.  A  special  committee  was  appointed  by  the 
Association,  consisting  of  Messrs.  William  J.  Rhees, 
Henry  Beard,  and  Nicholas  Dubois,  to  take  charge  of  the 
distribution  of  secular  and  religious  publications  to  the 

[156] 


HUMANITIES  OF  WAR 

army,  and  this  committee  engaged  heartily  in  the  work 
and  continued  it  during  the  war. 

A  supply  of  newspapers  and  other  periodicals  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  was  procured  for  the  Association 
reading  rooms  through  the  liberality  of  the  publishers. 
The  exchanges  of  the  Evening  Star  were  freely  furnished 
and  papers  were  received  from  the  postmasters  of  the 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives. 

Arrangements  were  made  with  the  American  Tract 
Societies  of  Boston  and  New  York,  the  Massachusetts 
Sabbath  School  Society  of  Boston,  the  Washington  Bible 
Society,  the  Methodist  Publishing  House,  and  others,  to 
supply  books,  tracts,  and  papers  for  the  army. 

A  large  room  (No.  22)  was  granted  in  the  Post  Office 
Department  for  the  deposit  and  shipment  of  literature 
and  was  in  charge  of  Rev.  J.  W.  Alvord,  of  the  Boston 
Tract  Society,  and  Mr.  William  J.  Rhees,  of  the  Wash- 
ington Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

The  defeat  of  Bull  Run  on  Sunday,  July  21,  caused 
intense  excitement  through  the  country  and  on  the  third 
morning  after,  Mr.  Vincent  Colyer  and  Mr.  F.  W.  Bal- 
lard  arrived  in  Washington  as  delegates  from  the  New 
York  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  They  spent 
several  weeks  with  others  in  inspecting  the  camps  and 
distributing  literature.  Mr.  Colyer's  labors  were  note- 
worthy and  gratuitous.  He  gave  up  his  business  and 
devoted  himself  entirely  to  the  work. 

Other  cities  sent  members  to  aid  in  a  work  which  evi- 
dently had  grown  far  beyond  the  ability  of  the  men  in 
Washington  to  meet. 

A  resolution  was  adopted  August  19,  1861,  by  the  Asso- 
ciation to  welcome  the  committee  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  of  New  York  and  the  Secretary  of 

[157] 


the  Evangelical  Alliance  (Rev.  Mr.  Boss)  to  the  city  and 
to  offer  them  hearty  co-operation  and  assistance  in  their 
plans  and  labors  for  promoting  the  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral comfort  of  the  soldiers  of  our  army. 

The  Massachusetts  Sabbath  School  Society,  besides 
other  matter,  published  six  books  in  small  flexible  covers, 
called  Pocket  Companion  for  Soldiers,  also  a  Soldier's 
Pocket  Companion,  in  six  volumes,  which  its  agents  and 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  distributed  by  the 
thousands  free  to  camps  and  hospitals. 

The  Boston  Tract  Society  published  The  Knapsack 
Book  and  a  periodical  called  The  Banner.  These  were 
handsomely  printed  with  patriotic  covers  in  colors,  and 
made  very  attractive,  in  strong  contrast  to  the  old  style 
of  religious  tracts.  When  shown  to  General  Scott  he 
examined  them  carefully  and  said:  "Why,  these  are 
soldiers'  books,  and  these  are  the  things  we  want.  God 
bless  you  in  your  work,  and  if  you  want  any  help  come 
to  me." 

The  New  York  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
issued  a  Soldier's  Hymn  Book  in  June,  1861,  which  had 
an  immense  circulation. 

The  Government  gave  every  facility  in  the  use  of  the 
mails  for  the  distribution  of  this  army  literature.  All 
that  the  military  mail-bags  would  hold,  over  what  was 
required  for  the  letters,  were  filled  with  it,  and  they  were 
sent  to  every  part  of  the  army  for  a  single  cent.  They 
were  called  Soldier's  rations  or  Gospel  rations. 

The  entire  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  reached  once  a 
week  with  the  packages.  In  every  tent,  distribution  was 
made  on  Sunday  morning. 

During  the  year  1862  alone  29,745,495  pages  were  dis- 
tributed, representing  a  cost  of  $26.000. 

[158] 


HUMANITIES  OF  WAR 

The  American  Tract  Society  reported  that  it  dis- 
tributed in  Washington  alone : 

Bibles  87,232 

Hymn  books   1,000 

Library  books    1.650 

Magazines  300 

Religious  newspapers 307,459 

Tracts— pages 10,000 

Rev.  O.  P.  Pitcher's  work  included  the  distribution  of: 
Scriptures    in    English,    German,    French, 

Italian,  and  Spanish 28,177 

Religious  papers  155,898 

Books  and  pamphlets 11,855 

Pages  of  tracts 1,773,261 

Religious  services  held 1,498 

Visits,  exclusive  of  meetings 1,181" 

Miles  traveled   5,240 

These  were  the  labors  of  one  man  and  in  the  District  of 
Columbia  and  neighborhood. 

Rev.  C.  P.  Lyford,  missionary,  of  the  Washington 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  reported  in  March, 
1863,  a  distribution  of  10,000  books  and  1,459,520  pages 
of  tracts,  and  that  he  had  held  265  services  and  traveled 
930  miles  in  six  months. 

Besides  at  the  regular  camps,  services  were  held  and 
books  and  papers  were  distributed  to  teamsters  and  am- 
bulance drivers  in  their  encampment  at  the  headquarters 
on  Twentieth  Street;  to  the  quartermaster's  men  in  the 
dining-room  of  the  carpenter's  mess-house  on  G  near 
Twenty-first  Street;  in  Nixon's  ampitheatre,  at  Camp 
Barry,  northeast  of  city;  at  the  Soldiers'  Rest;  and  the 
quartermaster's  hospital  on  Seventeenth  near  M  Street. 

[159] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

The  Washington  City  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion took  an  active  and  continuous  part  in  the  great  work 
for  the  soldiers  of  the  Republic,  rendered  especially 
necessary  from  its  location  at  the  Capital,  and  the  large 
numbers  of  soldiers  called  for  its  protection.  There  were 
more  than  200,000  soldiers  in  Camp  Distribution  on  Arl- 
ington Heights,  and  270,000  soldiers  occupied  the  Sol- 
diers' Rest  near  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  station 
during  a  single  year. 

A  conference  of  Mr.  V.  Colyer,  Mr.  Mitchell  H.  Miller, 
(the  President  of  the  Washington  Association)  and  Mr. 
William  Ballantyne  resulted  in  the  issuing  of  a  call  for  a 
special  convention  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation of  the  United  States,  which  was  held  in  the  rooms 
of  the  New  York  Association,  on  November  14-16,  1861. 
The  delegates  from  Washington  were  Richard  T.  Morsell 
and  William  Ballantyne,  the  latter  being  chosen  as  a 
secretary  of  the  Convention.  A  Christian  Commission  of 
twelve  members  was  then  organized  with  Mr.  George  H. 
Stuart,  of  Philadelphia,  as  chairman,  and  Mr.  Mitchell 
H.  Miller,  the  President  of  the  Washington  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  as  a  member. 

The  Commission  encountered  peculiar  difficulties  in 
Washington.  A  large  portion  of  the  population,  espe- 
cially in  the  earlier  stages  of  the  war,  was  in  sympathy 
with  the  Southern  cause  and  a  practical  indifference  char- 
acterized many  others.  The  sojourners  there,  always 
numerous,  in  pursuit  mainly  of  political  or  personal  ends, 
did  not  care  to  identify  themselves  with  any  benevolent, 
least  of  all  with  any  religious,  movement.  That  there 
were  active  Christian  workers  in  all  these  classes  it  is 
gratifying  to  testify,  and  they  increased  alike  in  num- 
bers and  activity  as  the  society  at  the  Capital  became 
purged  of  disloyalty. 

[160] 


HUMANITIES  OF  WAR 

The  Commission  at  first  seems  to  have  been  regarded 
by  the  public  with  general  indifference.  There  were 
numerous  applicants  for  favor  in  the  Tract,  Publication, 
and  Sunday  School  Societies,  the  Sanitary  Commission, 
and  the  various  local  societies  that  started  up  all  over  the 
country  which  proposed  looking  after  the  troops  from 
their  several  States  or  communities.  Opposition  and  in- 
difference gradually  gave  way  to  confidence  and  aid. 

It  was  distinctly  seen  that  there  was  a  great  opportun- 
ity and  necessity  for  temporal  and  spiritual  ministration 
to  the  soldiers,  and  there  was  an  earnest  Christian  and 
patriotic  desire  to  be  of  service  to  the  army  and  the  nation, 
but  there  was  an  absence  of  that  practical  knowledge 
which  could  only  come  through  actual  experience. 

While  some  of  the  officers  of  the  Army  and  some  Gov- 
ernment officials  were  indifferent  or  antagonistic,  the 
Commission  had  the  support  of  the  President  and  many 
of  the  leading  men  and  gradually  overcame  all  opposition. 

President  Lincoln  said,  in  a  letter  of  December  12, 
1SG1,  "Your  Christian  and  benevolent  undertaking  for  the 
benefit  of  the  soldiers  is  too  obviously  proper  and  praise- 
worthy to  admit  any  difference  of  opinion.  I  sincerely 
hope  your  plan  may  be  as  successful  in  execution  as  it 
is  just  and  generous  in  conception." 

The  Secretary  of  War,  Mr.  Stanton,  ordered  "that 
every  facility  consistent  with  the  exigencies  of  the  ser- 
vice will  be  afforded  to  the  Christian  Commission  for  the 
performance  of  their  religious  and  benevolent  purposes 
in  the  armies  of  the  United  States,  and  in  the  forts,  gar- 
risons, camps,  and  military  posts." 

President  Lincoln  frequently  contributed  to  its  funds. 
During  the  progress  of  the  work  the  Commission  received 
from  the  city  of  Washington  the  sum  of  $25,039.62,  and 

11  [161] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

other  donations  to  the  value  of  $26,620,  being  a  total  of 
$51,659.62. 

The  Government  gave  encouragement  to  the  Commis- 
sion by  free  passes  on  railroads  and  steamers,  and  permits 
were  issued  to  its  members  to  visit  every  part  of  the  army. 

The  Commission  sent  nearly  five  thousand  delegates 
into  the  field,  each  one  giving  at  least  six  weeks'  time  to 
the  army  work  without  compensation,  and  its  total  re- 
ceipts and  disbursements  during  the  war  reached  nearly 
six  million  dollars.  It  distributed  a  million  and  a  half 
Bibles  and  Testaments  and  hymn  books,  thirty-nine  mil- 
lion pages  of  tracts,  eight  million  Knapsack  Books,  and 
eighteen  million  papers  and  magazines. 

Mr.  William  Ballantyne,  who  had  direct  charge  of  the 
work  in  Washington,  deserves  credit  for  more  active  and 
efficient  religious  work  for  the  army  in  this  section  than 
any  other  man. 

The  first  anniversary  of  the  Christian  Commission  was 
held  on  January  29,  1863,  in  the  Academy  of  Music, 
Philadelphia.  Addresses  were  delivered  by  George  H. 
Stuart,  Rev.  Robert  Patterson,  Bishop  Matthew  Simpson, 
Col.  S.  M.  Bowman,  W.  E.  Dodge,  and  former  Governor 
James  Pollock. 

The  second  anniversary  of  the  Christian  Commission 
was  held  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 
Hon.  William  H.  Seward,  Secretary  of  State,  presided, 
and  President  Lincoln,  Vice-President  Hamlm,  and  mem- 
bers of  the  Cabinet,  Chief  Justice  Chase,  Admiral  Farra- 
gut,  and  many  members  of  Congress  attended.  Addresses 
were  made  by  Secretary  Seward,  George  H.  Stuart,  Gen. 
M.  R.  Patrick,  Gen.  C.  B.  Fiske,  and  others.  Chaplain 
McCabe  sang  The  Battle  Hymn  of  the  Republic,  and 
Philip  Phillips  Your  Mission,  by  special  request  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln. 

[162] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

Both  songs  thrilled  the  audience  and  were  accompanied 
with  manifestations  of  extraordinary  emotion — the  first 
stirring  every  heart  like  the  blast  of  a  trumpet,  and  the 
second  by  its  tenderness  and  pathos  suffusing  all  eyes  with 
tears.  It  was  noticed  that  President  Lincoln  rose  with  the 
throng  and  joined  heartily  in  the  chorus  of  the  Battle 
Hymn,  and  that  while  Mr.  Phillips  was  singing  he  shared 
fully  in  the  emotions  of  those  around  him. 

As  appropriate  to  this  occasion  the  words  of  the  last 
song  are  here  given. 

YOUR  MISSION. 

By  Mrs.  Ellen  Huntington  Gates. 

If  you  cannot  on  the  ocean 

Sail  among  the  swiftest  fleet, 
Rocking  on  the  highest  billows, 

Laughing  at  the  storms  you  meet; 
You  can  stand  among  the  sailors, 

Anchor'd  yet  within  the  bay, 
You  can  lend  a  hand  to  help  them, 

As  they  launch  their  boats  away. 

If  you  are  too  weak  to  journey 

Up  the  mountain,  steep  and  high; 
You  can  stand  within  the  valley, 

While  the  multitudes  go  by; 
You  can  chant  in  happy  measure, 

As  they  slowly  pass  along, 
Though  they  may  forget  the  singer 

They  will  not  forget  the  song. 

If  you  have  not  gold  and  silver 

Ever  ready  to  command; 
If  you  cannot  towards  the  needy 

Reach  an  ever  open  hand; 
You  can  visit  the  afflicted, 

O'er  the  erring  you  can  weep, 
You  can  be  a  true  disciple, 

Sitting  at  the  Savior's  feet. 

If  you  cannot,  in  the  Ijarvest, 

Garner  up  the  richest  sheaves, 
Many  a  grain,  both  ripe  and  golden, 

Will  the  careless  reapers  leave; 
Go  and  glean  among  the  briers, 

Growing  rank  against  the  wall, 
For  it  may  be  that  their  shadow 

Hides  the  heaviest  wheat  of  all. 

[164] 


HUMANITIES  OF  WAR 

If  you  cannot  in  the  conflict 

Prove  yourself  a  soldier  true, 
If,  where  fire  and  smoke  are  thickest, 

There's  no  work  for  you  to  do; 
When  the  battlefield  is  silent 

You  can  go  with  careful  tread, 
You  can  bear  away  the  wounded, 

You  can  cover  up  the  dead. 

Do  not,  then,  stand  idly  waiting 

For  some  greater  work  to  do; 
O,  improve  each  passing  moment, 

For  our  moments  may  be  few. 
Go  and  toil  in  any  vineyard, 

Do  not  fear  to  do  or  dare; 
If  you  want  a  field  of  labor 

You  can  find  it  anywhere. 

A  meeting  of  the  Christian  Commission  was  held  Sun- 
day evening,  February  22,  1863,  in  the  hall  of  the  House 
of  Representatives  by  special  vote  of  the  House.  Chief 
Justice  Chase  presided  and  addresses  were  made  by  Gen. 
O.  O.  Howard,  Admiral  A.  H.  Foote,  Hon.  Horace  May- 
nard,  former  Governor  J.  Pollock,  Rev.  W.  J.  R.  Taylor, 
Rev.  J.  T.  Duryea,  G.  H.  Stuart,  and  Joseph  Patterson. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Christian  Commission  was 
held  in  Washington  in  the  E  Street  Baptist  Church  on 
January  26,  1865,  and  the  delegates  called  on  President 
Lincoln  and  extended  their  thanks  to  him  for  furthering 
their  work. 

In  response,  Mr.  Lincoln  disclaimed  any  title  to  thanks 
for  what  he  had  done.  "Nor  do  I  know,"  said  he,  "that  I 
owe  you  any  thanks  for  what  you  have  done.  We  have 
all  been  laboring  for  a  common  end.  You  feel  grateful 
for  what  I  have  done — that  is  right;  and  I  certainly 
feel  grateful  for  what  you  have  done — that  is  right;  and 
yet  in  the  fact  that  we  have  been  laboring  for  the  same 
end,  the  preservation  of  our  country  and  the  welfare  of 
its  defenders,  has  been  our  motive  and  joy  and  reward." 

The  fourth  and  last  anniversary  was  held  on  Sunday 
evening,  February  11,  1866,  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of 

[165] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

Representatives,  on  which  occasion  Speaker  Colfax  pre- 
sided. Letters  were  read  from  Secretaries  Stanton, 
Seward,  and  Chase,  Generals  Grant,  Sherman,  Meade, 
Howard,  Patrick,  Hancock,  Thomas,  Burnside,  Butler, 
Ord,  Barnes,  and  Meigs,  and  Admiral  Farragut. 

Addresses  were  made  by  Speaker  Colfax.  Charles  De- 
mond,  Admiral  C.  H.  Davis,  Rev.  Herrick  Johnson,  Sen- 
ator Doolittle,  General  Augur,  Rev.  B.  W.  Chidlaw,  and 
Bishop  Simpson.  The  great  feature  of  the  meeting  was 
the  singing  by  Philip  Phillips,  of  Your  Mission,  and  a 
new  song  by  Mrs.  Ellen  Huntington  Gates,  entitled, 
Home  of  the  Soul.  The  Hutchinson  family,  the  most 
famous  singers  of  war  times,  sang  two  of  their  songs  em- 
bodying the  sentiment,  "I  live  for  the  good  I  can  do,"  and 
"There's  a  good  time  coming." 

The  idea  of  a  Sanitary  Commission  first  came  to  the 
official  notice  of  the  Government  through  a  letter  written 
in  June,  1861,  by  Dr.  R.  C.  Wood,  then  acting  Surgeon 
General,  to  the  Hon.  Simon  Cameron,  Secretary  of  War. 
In  this  letter  Dr.  Wood  suggested  the  appointment  of  a 
commission  of  inquiry  and  advice  in  respect  to  the  sani- 
tary interests  of  the  United  States  forces.  Such  a  com- 
mission was  made  necessary  by  the  pressure  which  the 
sudden  and  large  increase  of  the  army  had  imposed  upon 
the  Medical  Bureau.  It  was  not  intended  to  interfere 
with  the  existing  medical  organization  of  the  army,  but 
to  co-operate  with  and  strengthen  it. 

The  Commission  was  organized  on  June  16,  1861,  with 
the  following  officers :  Rev.  Henry  W.  Bellows,  president ; 
Alexander  Dallas  Bache,  vice-president;  George  Temple- 
ton  Strong,  treasurer;  Dr.  J.  Foster  Jenkins,  secretary; 
and  Drs.  J.  S.  Newberry,  J.  N.  Douglas,  and  F.  N.  Knapp, 
associate  secretaries.  The  standing  committee  met  quar- 
terly in  Washington,  but  daily  in  New  York  City. 

[166] 


HUMANITIES  OF  WAR 

The  first  business  was  to  improve  the  sanitary  condi- 
tion of  camps,  quarters,  hospitals,  and  men,  all  of  whom 
were  sadly  in  need  of  such  attention.  There  was  for  a 
time  well-grounded  fear  of  epidemics  breaking  out  in 
many  of  the  camps  on  account  of  the  inefficiency  of  in- 
experienced officers  and  the  general  neglect  of  sanitary 
measures  and  precautions.  A  visible  improvement  was 
soon  exhibited. 

No  military  resources,  however  well  directed,  could 
adequately  provide  relief  for  the  thousands  of  brave  men 
who  were  sinking  under  the  fatigue  and  privations  of  the 
march  or  stricken  down  in  fields  of  battle. 

In  this  emergency  the  noble,  heaven-prompted  associa- 
tions of  the  Christian  and  Sanitary  Commissions  offered 
the  channels  through  which  the  oil  and  wine  of  soothing 
kindness  and  strengthening  cheer  flowed  from  the  plenty 
of  homes  to  the  need  of  the  sick  and  wounded. 

As  the  war  advanced  other  duties  devolved  upon  the 
Sanitary  Commission.  The  Government  was  doing  all 
that  was  possible  but  this  was  not  enough  to  satisfy  the 
people.  They  wished  to  supply  the  soldiers  who  were 
their  sons,  brothers,  fathers  or  kinsmen  with  as  many  of 
their  home  comforts  and  home  attentions  as  could  possi- 
bly be  engrafted  upon  army  life.  With  this  view  they 
sent  large  quantities  of  food,  fruit,  delicacies,  and  appli- 
ances for  the  sick  and  wounded,  much  of  which  had  been 
spoiled  by  remaining  undelivered  in  the  depots  or  store- 
houses for  want  of  adequate  and  organized  means  of  dis- 
tribution. The  means  of  correspondence  and  the  furnish- 
ing of  reading  matter  were  also  prominent  features  of  the 
work  of  the  Commission. 

Mention  should  be  made  of  the  Nurses'  Homes  in 
Washington. 

These  homes  proved  a  source  of  immense  relief  to 

[167] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

nurses  arriving  in  the  city  or  to  those  worn  down  by 
service  at  the  hospitals  and  needed  a  few  days  of  quiet 
and  rest,  as  well  as  to  wives  and  mothers  of  soldiers  who 
were  seeking  their  husbands  and  sons  in  hospitals.  Many 
of  these  arriving  in  the  city  were  ignorant  of  the  cost  of 
the  journey  and  of  board  even  for  a  day  or  two,  and 
weary  and  almost  broken-hearted,  were  cared  for  at  these 
homes.  A  number  of  refugees  also,  mothers  and  children, 
were  received,  warmed,  and  clothed. 

The  Sanitary  Commission  also  established  a  Free  Pen- 
sion Agency,  which  was  of  great  value,  saving  the  soldiers 
immense  trouble  and  expense. 

Of  the  splendid  work  done  by  the  Commission  at  the 
close  of  many  battles  when  medical  supplies  could  not  be 
had  through  the  regular  channels  it  has  been  well  said : 

The  pangs  of  consuming  thirst  and  raging  fever  there 
alleviated,  the  agonizing  pains  relieved,  the  tender  and 
home-like  nursing  extended,  what  pen  can  do  justice  to 
them — who  can  estimate  the  priceless  relief  thus  admin- 
istered ! 

From  1861  to  18GG  the  Sanitary  Commission  distributed 
stores  and  supplies  amounting  in  value  to  five  and  a  half 
million  dollars.  It  accomplished  innumerable  reforms  in 
the  medical  service,  published  large  numbers  of  treatises 
on  the  sources  of  sickness  in  armies  and  the  means  of 
avoiding  and  treating  them,  trained  a  large  corps  of 
skilled  nurses  and  attendants,  and  distributed  annually 
tons  of  reading  matter. 

While  the  Christian  Commission  and  the  Sanitary 
Commission  engaged  in  some  respects  in  the  same  work, 
yet  each  had  its  special  Weld  and  each  was  necessarily 
supplemental  to  each  other.  Neither  could  have  been 
spared,  and  both  merited  and  received  the  heartfelt  grat- 
itude of  the  army  and  the  people. 

[168] 


HUMANITIES  OF  WAR 

It  is  not  to  be  inferred  for  a  moment  that  the  recital 
of  the  work  rendered  by  volunteer  associations  should 
cause  forgetfulness  or  want  of  full  appreciation  of  the 
devoted  and  self-sacrficing  and  untiring  labors  of  mem- 
bers of  the  Medical  Department  of  the  United  States 
Army  nor  of  hundreds  of  officers  in  every  branch  of  the 
service.  The  number  of  cases  treated  in  the  Army  Hos- 
pitals was  5,825,480,  and  the  number  of  deaths  was  393,- 
504. 

Special  mention  must  be  made  of  Miss  Dorothea 
Lynde  Dix,  "who  stands  in  history  as  the  most  eminent 
philanthropist  of  modern  times."  Her  biographer, 
Francis  Tiffany,  describes  her  as  "the  founder  of  vast 
and  enduring  institutions  of  mercy  in  America  and 
Europe,  having  simply  no  peer  in  the  annals  of  Protes- 
tantism." 

Early  in  18G1  she  had  communicated  the  results  of  a 
recent  visit  in  the  South  in  behalf  of  her  great  schemes 
for  ameliorating  the  condition  of  the  insane  to  her  friend, 
Mr.  S.  M.  Felton,  president  of  the  Philadelphia  and  Bal- 
timore railroad,  and  warned  him  of  a  great  conspiracy  to 
seize  upon  Washington,  with  its  archives  and  records, 
and  then  declare  the  Southern  Confederacy  de  facto  the 
government  of  the  United  States.  At  the  same  time  all 
means  of  communication  were  to  be  cut  off  between  Wash- 
ington and  the  Northern  States. 

As  soon  therefore  as  the  attack  was  made  on  the  troops 
hastening  through  Baltimore  to  the  defense  of  Washing- 
ton and  the  railroads  had  been  partially  destroyed,  Mr. 
Felton  by  a  masterly  move  seized  all  the  steamboats  on 
the  Chesapeake  and  had  them  in  readiness  for  the  second 
detachment  of  the  Massachusetts  troops.  While  all  was 
still  in  tumult  and  only  three  hours  after  the  massacre 

[169] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

in  Baltimore,  Miss  Dix  boarded  the  last  train  that  was 
permitted  to  leave  for  Washington. 

She  reported  herself,  though  about  sixty  years  old,  on 
April  20,  at  the  War  Department  and  to  the  Surgeon 
General  for  free  service  as  a  volunteer  nurse.  She  was  at 
once  appointed  by  the  order  of  Secretary  Cameron  as 
superintendent  of  women  nurses  "to  select  and  assign  wo- 
men nurses  to  general  or  permanent  military  hospitals, 
they  not  to  be  employed  in  such  hospitals  without  her 
sanction  and  approval  except  in  cases  of  urgent  need." 

Without  waiting  for  the  Government  in  its  distracted 
state,  Miss  Dix  provided  her  own  means  of  operation  by 
laying  upon  her  country's  altar  not  only  herself  but  her 
fortune.  At  her  own  expense  she  hired  two  houses  in 
Washington  to  be  used  as  headquarters  for  nurses  and 
convalescent  soldiers,  as  well  as  for  depositories  of  sup- 
plies for  which  she  at  once  appealed  to  the  people. 

Up  to  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  the  United  States  had 
maintained  an  army  of  but  20,000  to  25,000  men,  and  no 
mind  in  the  country  had  ever  coped  with  the  problem  of 
dealing  with  the  medical  care  of  large  forces.  No  agency 
it  was  soon  found,  short  of  powerful  organizations  like 
the  Christian  and  Sanitary  Commissions,  with  their  im- 
mense sums  of  money,  enormous  stores  of  supplies  and 
active,  competent  and  devoted  workers  could  supply  the 
need.  Miss  Dix  applied  herself  unremittingly  to  the  task 
assigned  her,  and  during  the  four  long  years  of  the  war 
she  never  took  a  day's  furlough.  Untiringly  did  she  re- 
main at  her  post,  organizing  bands  of  nurses,  forwarding 
supplies,  inspecting  hospitals,  and  in  many  a  case  of  neg- 
lect or  abuse  making  her  name  and  presence  a  salutary  ter- 
ror. By  her  rigid  ideas  of  honesty,  and  faithful  discharge 
of  duty,  and  insistence  on  proper  administration,  she  ex- 
cited opposition  from  many  surgeons  and  even  nurses. 
She  had,  however,  the  sturdy  and  untiring  support  of  the 

[170] 


HUMANITIES  OF  WAR 

Secretary  of  War,  Mr.  Stanton.  Unpopularity  reaped  in 
doing  duty  at  all  risks  was  a  commendation  in  his  eyes 
rather  than  a  reproach. 

So  high  was  the  sense  of  the  country's  indebtedness  to 
this  woman  who  had  been  first  on  the  ground  and  last  to 
quit  the  post  of  duty,  that  at  the  close  of  the  war  she  was 
asked  in  what  shape  it  would  be  most  agreeable  to  her 
to  have  her  services  officially  recognized. 

A  great  public  meeting  presided  over  by  the  highest 
officials  or  a  vote  of  money  from  Congress  were  proposed. 
These  she  absolutely  declined  and  to  the  query:  "What 
then  would  you  like,"  responded :  "The  flags  of  my  coun- 
try." 

A  beautiful  pair  of  national  colors  were  specially  made 
by  the  Government  and  sent  to  her. 

In  acknowledging  this  gift,  Miss  Dix  said:  "No  more 
precious  gift  could  have  been  bestowed  and  no  possession 
will  be  so  prized  while  life  remains  to  love  and  serve  my 
country." 

It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  labors  of  the  Govern- 
ment and  of  individuals  for  the  contrabands  or  Freemen, 
which  included  physical  relief,  temporary  homes  and 
schools,  and  religious  instruction. 

There  were  in  the  army  which  assembled  in  Washing- 
ton many  devoted,  intelligent  chaplains  and  these  formed 
a  Chaplain's  Association  which  met  weekly  and  co-oper- 
ated with  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  workers 
in  Washington. 

In  1861  no  chaplains  had  been  provided  for  hospitals. 
Two  wealthy  ladies  of  New  York,  the  Misses  Woolsey, 
residing  in  Washington,  offered  to  pay  the  salary  of  a 
chaplain  for  the  hospitals  in  Alexandria,  Virginia.  They 
did  this,  and  also  used  their  private  carriage  to  carry 
stores  to  the  hospitals. 

As  many  church  buildings  were  occupied  as  Govern- 

[171] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

ment  hospitals,  the  members  of  these  churches  made  spe- 
cial efforts  to  relieve  the  suffering  within  their  reach,  and 
these  labors  were  unrecorded  and  yet  formed  a  great  ag- 
gregate which,  with  those  of  members  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, Odd  Fellows,  and  similar  organizations,  should 
be  taken  into  account  in  describing  the  charities 'of  the 
citizens  of  Washington. 

Special  mention  must  be  made  of  Walt  Whitman,  whose 
noble  work  is  so  well  known  to  the  soldiers. 

The  citizens  of  Washington  contributed  liberally  to 
those  benevolent  and  patriotic  organizations,  and  in  every 
way  aided  in  the  relief  of  the  sick  and  wounded,  and  the 
cheer  and  comfort  of  the  afflicted. 

This  brief  sketch  of  the  work  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  accept- 
ed as  a  faint  tribute  to  the  labors  of  the  noble  men  and 
women  whose  services,  though  not  rendered  on  the  battle- 
field as  combatants,  were  truly  Soldiers  of  the  Cross  and 
carried  consolation  and  succor,  hope,  and  loving  minis- 
tration to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 


View  of  Military  Asylum,  now  Soldiers'  Home. 


[172] 


Arlington  and  Battlefield  Cemeteries. 

BY  ISABEL  WORRELL  BALL 

Chairman,  Press  Committee,  Thirty-sixth  National  En- 
campment 

N  the  Virginia  hills,  with  the 
placid  Potomac  below,  where 
the  shadow  of  the  Capitol's 
white  dome  falls  athwart  the 
shimmering  waters  and  the 
Monument  like  a  grim  sen- 
tinel is  ever  on  duty  at  the 
gateway,  lies  Arlington,  the 
National  City  of  the  Dead, 
where  sleep  nearly  19,000  "sol- 
diers of  the  Union,  mustered 
out." 

It  was  the  great  war  governor  of  Pennsylvania,  Andrew 
G.  Curtin,  who  suggested  that  National  interment  of  the 
Nation's  heroes  would  be  but  simple  justice  to  those  who 
died  in  the  Nation's  defense.  It  was  on  the  soil  of  Penn- 
sylvania that  the  first  shrine  to  the  dead  of  a  war  fought 
in  National  defense  was  dedicated.  At  Gettysburg,  on 
November  19,  18G3,  this  first  dedication  occurred  and  the 
tribute  to  the  battlefield  dead  and  the  Union  soldiers,  paid 
by  President  Lincoln,  is  read  each  recurring  Memorial 
Day  in  every  cemetery  in  the  world  where  a  soldier  of  the 
Union  sleeps. 

Standing  on  the  yet  battle-roughened  spot,  with  the 
Catoctin  mountains  for  his  western  horizon,  and  the 

[173] 


General  Irvm  McDowell. 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

Round  Tops  limned  against  the  Southern  sky,  President 
Lincoln  saw  the  great  panorama  of  nearly  three  years 
spread  out  before  him,  and  at  his  feet  the  graves  of  3,000 
men  who  had  "fought  the  fight  and  kept  the  faith."  A 
pitiful  handful  of  the  thousands  and  thousands  sacrificed 
in  the  war  whose  end  was  not  yet  in  sight.  His  great 
heart  was  heavy  with  the  woe  of  it  all,  and  in  homely 
pathos  he  gave  utterance  to  words  which  have  been  print- 
ed in  nearly  every  tongue  and  pronounced  under  every 
sky  where  patriotism  and  true  valor  are  cherished.  Words 
that  have  long  been  accepted  as  the  purest  example  of 
English  expression  extant.  In  his  clear  voice  which  suf- 
fering had  softened,  he  said : 

Four  score  and  seven  years  ago  our  fathers  brought 
forth  upon  this  continent  a  new  Nation  conceived  in  lib- 
erty and  dedicated  to  the  proposition  that  all  men  are 
created  equal.  Now  we  are  engaged  in  a  great  Civil  Wai- 
testing  whether  that  Nation  or  any  Nation  so  conceived 
and  so  dedicated,  can  long  endure.  We  are  met  on  a  great 
battlefield  of  that  war.  We  have  come  to  dedicate  a  por- 
tion of  that  field  as  a  final  resting-place  for  those  who 
here  gave  their  lives  that  that  Nation  might  live.  It  is 
altogether  fitting  and  proper  that  we  should  do  this. 

But,  in  a  larger  sense,  we  cannot  dedicate,  we  cannot 
consecrate,  we  cannot  hallow  this  ground.  The  brave 
men,  living  and  dead,  who  struggled  here,  have  conse- 
crated it  far  above  our  poor  power  to  add  or  detract.  The 
world  will  little  note  nor  long  remember  what  we  say 
here;  but  it  can  never  forget  what  they  did  here.  It  is 
for  us  the  living,  rather,  to  bs  dedicated  here  to  the  unfin- 
ished work  which  they  who  fought  here,  have  thus  far  so 
nobly  advanced.  It  is  rather  for  us  to  be  here  dedicated 
to  the  great  task  remaining  before  us — that  from  these 
honored  dead  we  take  increased  devotion  to  that  cause  for 
which  the}7  gave  the  last  full  measure  of  devotion;  that 
we  here  highly  resolve  that  these  dead  shall  not  have  died 
in  vain;  that  this  Nation  under  God  shall  have  a  new 

[174] 


ARLINGTON     BATTLEFIEIJ)     CEMETERIES 

birth  of  freedom ;  and  that  the  government  of  the  people, 
by  the  people,  for  the  people,  shall  not  perish  from  the 
earth. 

And  they  have  not  "died  in  vain,"  for  like  Moslems  to 
Mecca,  journey  the  people  to  these  ''battle  cemeteries," 
there  to  learn  new  lessons  in  patriotism  while  the  example 
of  "these  honored  dead"  inspires  increased  devotion  to  the 
principles  for  which  they  gave  up  their  lives. 

Of  the  eighty-three  National  cemeteries,  Arlington  is 
the  most  beautiful  and  the  best  known.  Much  that  has 
been  said  about  the  acquisition  of  Arlington  by  the  Gov- 
ernment is  not  true.  It  never  belonged  to  George  Wash- 
ington nor  to  Robert  E.  Lee.  It  was  not  confiscated  by 
the  Government.  The  United  States  bought  Arlington 
estate,  paving  for  it  nearly  six  times  as  much  as  its  broad 
acres  had  ever  been  declared  to  be  worth  by  the  assessor. 

Arlington  has  had  but  few  owners  and  the  title  to  the 
estate  is  easy  to  trace.  One  year  less  than  forty  after  the 
Pilgrims  landed  at  Plymouth  Rock,  the  1,100  acres  in 
Fairfax.  Virginia,  were  granted  under  a  patent  of  Sir 
William  Berkeley,  Governor  of  Virginia,  to  Robert  Howr- 
ser,  who  named  the  estate  for  the  Earl  of  Arlington.  Its 
next  owners  were  the  Alexanders.  From  them  it  was  pur- 
chased by  John  Parke  Custis,  the  son  of  Martha  Washing- 
ton by  her  first  husband.  The  head  of  the  American  Cus- 
tis family  was  an  immigrant  inn-keeper,  formerly  of  Rot- 
terdam, Holland. 

John  Parke  Custis,  at  his  death,  devised  the  estate  to 
his  son.  George  Washington  Parke  Custis.  This  was  the 
boy  who  grew  up  at  Mount  Vernon.  He  died  in  1857, 
and  by  will  devised  Arlington  to  his  only  child,  Mary  Ann 
Randolph  Custis.  who  was  married  to  Robert  E.  Lee,  she 
to  enjoy  the  estate  during  her  life.  At  her  death  the 
plantation  was  to  become  the  property  of  her  son,  George 

[175] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

Washington  Custis  Lee,  provided  he  took  the  name  Cus- 
tis  and  dropped  the  name  of  Lee.  He  was  also  to  adopt 
the  Custis  arms.  He  never  did  either,  and  had  to  invoke 
the  aid  of  the  courts  to  give  him  a  clear  title  to  the  vast 
estates  of  his  grandfather,  long  after  the  war,  and  after 
the  death  of  his  mother,  the  wife  of  Robert  E.  Lee. 

On  April  20,  1861,  Robert  E.  Lee  resigned  his  commis- 
sion as  Colonel  in  the  United  States  Army,  and  on  April 
22,  1861,  with  his  wife,  children,  and  most  of  his  ser- 
vants, left  Arlington  for  Richmond.  On  April  23,  Lee 
became  commander-in-chief  of  the  Virginia  forces  of 
the  Confederate  army.  The  Lees  thus  practically  aban- 
doned Arlington,  to  which  they  never  returned,  nor  did 
they  make  the  slightest  attempt  to  assert  ownership  dur- 
ing the  life  of  Mrs.  Lee. 

In  1861,  Congress,  to  provide  revenue  for  the  Govern- 
ment, passed  an  act  levying  a  direct  tax  apportioned 
among  the  States  severally.  In  June,  1862,  a  law  was 
enacted  providing  for  the  collection  of  this  tax  in  insur- 
rectionary districts,  and  all  tracts  and  parcels  of  land 
upon  which  the  owners  failed  or  refused  to  pay  this  tax, 
were  to  be  sold  in  about  the  same  manner  as  property  is 
sold  today  for  delinquent  taxes.  This  act  also  provided 
that  at  such  sale  of  land,  by  direction  of  the  President, 
it  might  be  bid  in  by  the  tax  sale  commissioners  for  the 
United  States  to  be  used  for  war,  military,  naval,  revenue, 
charitable,  or  police  purposes. 

Virginia's  share  in  this  direct  tax  was  something  over 
$900.000.  Arlington  Heights  formed  a  great  strategical 
point  in  the  defense  of  Washington,  and  three  days  after 
the  Lees  left  the  place,  the  first  Union  troops  began  to 
arrive  in  Washington.  Beyond  the  Long  Bridge  and  on 
Arlington  Heights  the  first  camp-fires  of  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion  were  kindled  not  to  be  extinguished  till  Lee 

[176] 


ARLINGTON     BATTLEFIELD     CEMETERIES 

laid  down  his  sword  at  Appomattox.  On  the  hills  under 
the  trees  a  tented  town  sprang  up,  whose  streets  were 
patrolled  by  men  in  Union  blue. 

Two  forts  were  located  on  the  estate.  Fort  Whipplc, 
now  known  as  Fort  Myer,  and  Fort  McPherson,  an  earth- 
work, which  has  recently  been  restored  to  its  war-time 
form.  These  were  a  part  of  the  system  of  forts  and  bat- 
teries designed  for  the  protection  of  Washington. 

The  Surgeon's  staff  of  the  hospital  corps  was  finally 
established  at  Arlington,  and  long  lines  of  hospital  tents 
stretched  away  under  the  dim  aisles  of  oaks  and  elms, 
sheltering  the  victims  of  "war's  awful  havoc.  The  big 
colonial  mansion  with  its  huge  stuccoed  pillars  then 
housed  the  commanding  officers. 

Virginia  having  failed  to  pay  her  personal  tax  as  pro- 
vided by  law,  the  United  States,  on  January  11,  18G4, 
proceeded  to  sell  many  parcels  of  land.  Under  recom- 
mendation of  the  Secretary  of  War  and  approved  by  the 
President,  the  Arlington  estate  was  put  up  at  public  auc- 
tion, after  long  advertisement  in  the  Virginia  papers.  Very 
few  were  interested  enough  to  bid  upon  it,  and  the  United 
States  being  the  highest  bidder,  got  it  for  $20,000.  The 
estate  had  been  assessed  in  I860  at  a  valuation  of  $34,000. 

Arlington  was  by  this  time  one  vast  hospital. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  there  was  but  one  mili- 
tary cemetery  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  that  was 
at  the  Soldiers'  Home.  Over  8,000  soldiers  who  had  died 
in  the  hospitals  in  and  around  Washington  had  been 
buried  in  this  cemetery,  and  in  May,  1864,  all  permits  for 
burial  there  were  refused,  the  space  being  filled.  The 
deaths  from  wounds  and  disease  in  the  vicinity  of  Wash- 
ington reached  half  a  hundred  a  day,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  locate  another  cemetery  at  once. 

On  May  13,  1864,  President  Lincoln,  as  was  his  wont, 

12  [177] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

left  the  White  House  in  his  carriage  to  visit  the  hospitals 
where  his  "boys"  were  confined,  and  took  with  him  Gen- 
eral M.  C.  Meigs,  who  was  then  Quartermaster  General 
of  the  United  States  Army.  Their  last  visit  of  the  after- 
noon was  to  Arlington.  Here  they  found  twelve  bodies 
waiting  to  be  carried  to  the  military  cemetery  at  the  Sol- 
diers' Home,  where  there  was  no  ground  in  which  to  bury 
them.  On  the  spur  of  the  moment,  General  Meigs  order- 
ed all  the  bodies  awaiting  burial  to  be  interred  on  the 
grounds  at  once,  and  he  designated  the  spot  near  the  gar- 
dens of  the  Mansion  House,  where  the  interment  was  to 
be  made. 

Just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  in  a  red  glow  which  irradi- 
ated the  great  unfinished  dome  across  the  Potomac  and 
illuminated  the  hundreds  of  windows,  the  twelve  black 
painted  coffins  were  placed  beside  twelve  little  mounds  of 
clay,  and  a  chaplain  read  the  burial  service  over  each. 
Then  the  bodies  were  lowered  into  the  graves,  and  the 
first  interments  in  Arlington  National  Cemetery  had  been 
made.  The  first  body  of  the  twelve  over  which  the  bur- 
ial service  was  read  as  shown  by  the  records  was  that  of 
a  rebel  prisoner  who  died  in  Arlington  hospital.  The 
next  body  was  that  of  a  New  York  soldier.  There  now 
sleep  beside  him  nearly  lt),000  wearers  of  the  blue. 

In  May.  1S77.  twelve  years  after  the  war  closed,  George 
Washington  Custis  Lee.  who  had  never  complied  with 
the  conditions  of  his  grandfather's  will  by  which  he  was 
to  inherit  Arlington,  provided  he  took  the  name  of  Cus- 
tis. dropping  that  of  Lc:\  and  took  also  the  Custis  arms. 
brought  suit  in  the  courts  to  legalize  his  title  without 
this  formality,  and  then  brought  suit  against  the  United 
States  for  the  value  of  the  estate.  After  many  years  of 
litigation,  the  United  States  secured  a  clear  title  to  the 
Arlington  estate  of  1,100  acres  by  paying  George  Wash- 

[178] 


ARLINGTON     BATTLEFIELD     CEMETERIES 

ington  Custis  Lee  the  sum  of  $150,000,  making  $176,000 
(hat  had  been  paid  for  an  estate  which  one  year  before 
the  war  had  been  valued  by  its  owners  at  $34,000. 

This  National  Necropolis  is  one  of  the  famous  places 
of  the  world.  Nature  has  done  her  best  for  the  beautiful 
spot,  and  art  has  not  attempted  to  paint  the  lily.  A  stone 
wall,  most  of  it  hidden  under  clinging  vines,  surrounds 
the  cemetery  and  on  the  river  side  it  is  entered  by  three 
historic  gateways.  The  first,  is  the  Ord  and  AVeitzcl  gate. 
Two  tall  columns  bearing  the  names  are  over-arched  and 
surmounted  by  a  funeral  urn.  The  second  gate  has  four 
great  columns  of  stone  supporting  a  moulded  cross  piece 
of  granite.  The  name  Sheridan  in  bold  relief  on  this 
cross  piece  gives  the  gate  its  title.  It  has  also  four  col- 
umns which  bear  the  names  of  Lincoln,  Scott,  Stanton, 
and  (Irant.  The  third  gate  is  named  for  McClellan.  The 
material  of  which  these  gates  are  constructed  was  taken 
from  the  old  War  Department  which  was  torn  down  to 
make  place  for  the  present  magnificent  structure,  and 
tne  columns  were  among  the  adornments  of  that  historic 
structure.  From  these  gates  through  primeval  forests, 
over  deep  ravines  and  along  hills  for  nearly  a  mile,  road- 
ways wind  up  to  the  Mansion,  to  the  open  ground  about 
the  building  and  the  smooth  sward  and  asphalted  drives 
and  walks. 

No  change  has  been  made  in  the  Mansion  since  it  was 
built  nearly  a  century  ago.  One  half  is  occupied  by  the 
superintendent  of  the  grounds,  and  the  other  half  is 
given  over  to  bare  floors  and  the  walls  to  official  maps. 
Into  the  walls  of  the  great  central  hall  are  let  large  tab- 
lets of  black  marble  bearing  in  letters  of  white,  Lincoln's 
Gettysburg  address,  and  Ingersoll's  famous  Memorial 
Day  oration. 

The  grounds  about  the  Mansion  are  laid  out  in  floral 

[179] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

corps  badges,  and  the  names  of  famous  generals  are 
formed  in  growing  plants.  A  small  white  Temple  of 
Fame  stands  in  the  midst  of  these,  bearing  upon  its  snow 
white  columns  the  names  of  Lincoln,  Grant,  David  Por- 
ter, Farragut,  McPherson,  Sedgwick,  Reynolds,  Humph- 
reys, Garfield,  Mansfield,  Thomas,  Meade,  Washington.  A 
short  distance  away  is  the  amphitheater  where  Memorial 
Day  exercises  are  held.  Picturesque  and  classic  in  out- 
lines this  vine-involved  temple  of  oratory  might  have 
been  plucked  from  ancient  Greece. 

In  between  these,  under  stately  trees  that  lift  their 
heads  a  hundred  feet  into  the  sky,  stands  the  Tomb  of 
the  Unknown  Dead — just  a  grim  pile  of  rough  hewn 
granite  and  marble,  standing  four  square  to  the  world, 
and  housing  the  remains  of  2,111  dead,  who  "to  fortune 
and  to  fame  unknown,"  their  very  names  forgotten,  sleep 
the  sleep  of  heroes.  From  Chantilly  to  the  Rappahan- 
nock  the  bodies  were  gathered.  They  were  found  in 
lonely  fence  corners,  under  tangled  thickets,  by  running 
streams,  in  the  deep  forest.  Sometimes  there  were  only 
a  few  bones  and  a  belt  buckle  left  to  identify  the  remains, 
but  wherever  they  were  unearthed,  the  poor  fragments 
were  gathered  in  small  plain  boxes  of  uniform  size,  each 
skeleton  to  itself.  A  great  vault,  thirty  feet  deep  and 
two  hundred  feet  square,  was  constructed  of  solid  mason- 
ry where  the  monument  now  stands,  and  here  the  2,111 
boxes  were  deposited.  Above  this  vault  there  was  con- 
structed, in  1876,  the  massive  memorial  sarcophagus.  It 
bears  the  simple  inscription : 

Here  lies  the  bones  of  2,111  unknown  soldiers.  Their 
remains  could  not  be  identified,  but  their  names  and 
deaths  are  recorded  in  the  archives  of  their  country,  and 
its  grateful  citizens  honor  them  as  of  their  noble  army 
of  martyrs.  May  they  rest  in  peace. 

The  graves  in  Arlington,  as  in  all  the  National  Ceme- 

[180] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

teries,  were  at  first  marked  with  a  wooden  slab  bearing 
the  name,  service  and  date  of  death.  In  1872  the  Quar- 
termaster General  decided  to  mark  them  all  with  small 
marble  slabs,  suitably  inscribed,  and  this  has  been  done. 
There  are  about  18,000  of  these  small  headstones  in  Ar- 
lington, but  there  are  nearly  four  thousand  of  these  that 
are  very  small  indeed.  They  have  upon  them  the  single 
word,  "Unknown" ! 

Among  the  noted  dead  who  sleep  in  Arlington  are 
Sheridan,  Porter,  Farragut,  Wright,  Crook,  Ricketts, 
Hazen,  Myers,  Baxter,  Mower,  Sturgis,  Harney,  Paul, 
Meigs,  Belknap,  Plummer,  and  many  others.  In  one 
section  cared  for  as  tenderly  as  any  other,  sleep  several 
hundred  Confederates,  who  died  in  the  hospitals  about 
Washington.  One  whole  section  is  given  over  to  colored 
soldiers,  and  one  plot  contains  the  remains  of  several  sol- 
diers of  earlier  wars,  reinterred  there  in  1889.  In  the 
Spanish  War  section,  there  are  nearly  1,000  graves.  Scat- 
tered about  the  grounds  are  the  tombs  and  crumbling 
headstones  of  the  former  owners,  the  Randolphs,  Cus- 
tises,  and  Lees. 

Under  the  trees  and  along  the  paths  beside  which  these 
heroes  sleep  there  are  tablets  of  bronze,  bearing  in  white 
letters,  the  following  verses  from  the  great  elegaic  poem 
of  Colonel  Theodore  O'Hara,  which  will  tell  through  cen- 
turies to  come  of  the  tender  memories  that  clustered  about 
the  last  resting  places  of  the  battlefield  dead : 

The  muffled  drum's  sad  roll  has  beat 

The  soldier's  last  tattoo; 
No  more  on  Life's  parade  shall  meet 

That  brave  and  fallen  few. 

I 

On  Fame's  eternal  camping  ground 

Their  silent  tents  are  spread, 
And  Glory  guards  with  solemn  round 

The  bivouac  of  the  dead. 

[182] 


ARLINGTON     BATTLEFIELD     CEMETERIES 


No  rumor  of  the  foe's  advance 

Now  swells  upon  the  wind; 
No  troubled  thought  at  midnight  haunts 

Of  loved  ones  left  behind. 

No  vision  of  the  morning's  strife 
The  warrior's  dream  alarms; 

NII  braying  horn  nor  screaming  fife 
At    dawn    shall   call   to  arms. 


Tlir  iici.uhint^  troop,   Ihe  Hashing  lilaclo, 

Tin'    bugle's   stirring   lilast  : 
The   charge,    the   dreadful    coniionadc, 
The  din   and   shout  are  |ast. 

Rest  on,  embalmed  and  sainted  dead, 

Dear  as  the  blood  ye  gave; 
No  impious  footstep  here  shall   tread 

The   herbage  of  your  grave. 

Nor  shall  your  glories  be   forgot 

While    fame    her   n  cord    k.  i  |  s, 
<  >r   honor   points   the    hallowiil    spot 
Where   valor   proudly   slcej.s. 

Nor   wreck,   nor  change,   nor   winter's  blight, 

Nor  Time's  remorseless  doom, 
Shall  dim  one  ray  of  holy  light 

That  gilds  your  glorious  tomb. 

These  same  lines  are  found  in  each  of  the  eighty-three 
National  Cemeteries. 

There  are  many  beautiful  cemeteries  in  Washington 
where  thousands  of  soldiers  sleep,  but  they  are  not  Na- 
tional in  character,  and  arc  not  cared  for  by  the  National 
Government.  The  Military  Cemetery  at  the  Soldiers' 
Home,  is  maintained  by  a  percentage  of  the  monthly  pay 
of  retired  regulars  in  the  Home. 

The  National  Cemetery  at  Alexandria  contains  four 
acres,  and  in  it  are  buried  the  remains  of  3.600  Union 
soldiers,  from  the  hospitals  and  battlefields  of  the  vicin- 
ity. It  is  a  beautiful  tree-shaded  spot,  but  no  notable 
graves  are  there.  In  the  center  stands  a  fine  monument 
to  the  four  citizen  firemen  of  Alexandria,  who  lost  their 
lives  in  a  collision  on  the  Potomac  while  in  pursuit  of 
the  assassin  Booth,  on  April  24,  1865. 

[183] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

One  of  the  smallest  of  the  National  cemeteries,  and 
the  only  one  located  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  proper, 
is  Battlefield  Cemetery,  near  Fort  Stevens.  Forty  Union 
dead  are  there  interred.  Where  they  lie  in  low  green 
tents,  cannon  once  thundered  answering  the  tread  of 
thousands  of  marching  men.  Where  the  flowers  now  bloom 
about  them,  bullets  once  lay  like  pebbles  along  the  path- 
way and  blood  reddened  the  powder-burned  herbage.  On 
the  spot  where  these  bodies  lie  surged  the  Union  and 
Rebel  armies  under  the  eyes  of  President  Lincoln  in  a 
mighty  struggle  for  the  possession  of  Washington.  When 
the  tide  of  battle  rolled  back,  Early  was  vanquished  and 
the  Nation's  Capital  was  saved. 

Earth  may  run  red  with  other  wars — they  are  at  peace. 
In  the  midst  of  battle,  in  the  roar  of  conflict,  they  found 
the  serenity  of  death. 


Arlington  House. 


[184] 


Political  and  Social  Conditions  During  the  War 


Hole. 


BY  BRAINARD  II.  WA1JNKR 
Cfniit-man  of  the  Thirty-Sixth  National  Encampment 

EFORE  the  Civil  War  WTash- 
ington  was  in  many  respects 
but  little  more  than  a  country 
village.  Yet  for  moiv  than 
half  a  century  it  had  been  the 
chief  center  of  political  excite- 
ment in  the  United  States.  The 
question  of  slavery  had  long 
been  the  principal  cause  of 
contention  between  different 
sections  of  the  Union.  The  in- 
creasing power  of  the  North 

and  West  was  regarded  with  apprehension  by  the  South, 
largely  in  consequence  of  the  constant  and  continued  agi- 
tation of  extremists,  who  denounced  human  bondage  of 
every  kind. 

Inducements  for  travel  were  not  so  great  as  now.  Tour- 
ists from  the  Northern  States  felt  they  would  not  ba 
welcome  in  the  South  and  would  be  viewed  with  sus- 
picion. They  preferred  to  avoid  the  slave  S3ction,  where 
every  property-owner  felt  it  his  bounden  duty  to  prevent 
the  circulation  of  the  pronounced  anti-slavery  journals. 
Southern  people  looked  upon  Northern  men  as  unfair 
and  extreme  and  as  having  designs  upon  the  fortunes 
and  prosperity  of  their  political  antagonists.  In  their 
eyes  John  Brown  was  only  a  representative  of  a  large 

[185] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

class,  who  would  hesitate  at  nothing  to  gain  a  fixed  pur- 
pose. Moreover,  the  people  of  the  South  who  had  time 
and  means  for  travel  were  glad  to  spend  their  leisure 
among  their  own  fellow  citizens  at  the  various  resorts 
where  they  could  find  pastimes  suited  to  their  tastes, 
where  mint  juleps  and  toddies  were  popular  and  the  race- 
course and  tournaments  were  favorite  sources  of  pleas- 
ure. 

A  large  proportion  of  those  who  lived  in  the  Southern 
States  were  both  religious  and  refined,  although  a  belief 
prevailed  in  the  North  that  the  South  was  generally  a 
place  of  ease  and  profligacy  and  that  its  inhabitants  were 
largely  given  over  to  card-playing  and  drinking.  Duels: 
were  of  frequent  occurrence.  It  was  an  open  and  con- 
stant boast  that  one  Southern  man  accustomed  to  hunt- 
ing and  shooting  was  more  than  a  match  for  four  Yan- 
kees; and  the  latter  were  said  to  be  cowardly  and  unwil- 
ling to  fight  for  their  rights.  This  was  currently  believed 
in  the  South. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  readily  that  each  section  of  the 
Union  persistently  misunderstood  the  other.  The  atti- 
tude of  the  South,  however,  proved  to  be  the  more  sig- 
nificant. The  balance  of  influence  in  Congress  had  been 
held  from  the  foundation  of  the  Union  by  representatives 
from  Southern  States;  it  was  only  natural,  then,  that  the 
growth  of  other  sections  inimical  to  their  institutions 
should  provoke  their  leaders  to  prepare  for  a  conflict  of 
interests. 

To  this  end  the  people  of  the  South  had  been  gather- 
ing resources  for  defense  for  some  time  prior  to  1801. 
Of  these  resources,  of  the  war  assets  of  the  South,  of  its 
capacity  for  self-sacrifice,  the  North  had  no  accurate  con- 
ception. Northerners  little  understood  the  character 

[186] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

which  the  strain  of  subsequent  events  was  to  make  mani- 
fest. 

In  Washington  this  position  of  the  South  found  abun- 
dant support.  Public  patronage  for  years  before  the  war 
had  been  given  largely  to  representatives  from  the  South- 
ern States,  who  naturally  sympathized  with  slavery  and 
its  institutions.  The  chiefs  of  many  important  bureaus 
freely  expressed  their  hope  for  the  success  of  a  secession 
movement,  should  one  be  undertaken.  When  Sumter  was 
fired  on,  therefore,  and  steps  taken  to  establish  a  separate 
government,  many  residents  of  the  National  Capital  left 
the  city  hurriedly  and  openly  cast  their  fortunes  with  the 
South.  Friendships  of  a  lifetime  were  disrupted.  Broth- 
ers, sisters,  parents  and  children,  sweethearts  and  lovers, 
and  even  man  and  wife,  were  frequently  divided  in  their 
allegiance  to  the  cause  of  the  Union. 

Although  many  of  the  prominent  leaders  were  hostile 
to  the  National  Government,  the  great  majority  of  the 
people  in  the  District  of  Columbia  were  opposed  to  seces- 
sion. The  loyal  militia  organized  quietly,  and  with  the 
coming  of  the  new  administration  and  the  inauguration 
of  Mr.  Lincoln  it  was  ready  to  protect  the  officials  of  the 
new  administration  and  defend  the  Capital  until  such 
time  as  overt  acts  of  hostility  should  make  it  necessary 
for  volunteers  from  the  North  to  assist  in  the  national 
defense. 

Meanwhile  great  excitement  prevailed.  Union  senti- 
ment in  the  District  was  strong  enough  to  obtain  a  vote 
for  appropriations  to  pay  bounties  to  volunteers  and  the 
hire  of  drafted  men.  A  peace  convention  was  held  and 
attended  by  men  of  prominence.  A  fast  day  was  ob- 
served on  September  26,  1861.  There  was  still  a  large 
number  opposed  to  the  loyalists,  men  who  remained  away 
from  the  peace  convention,  who  held  numerous  meetings 

[188] 


SOCIAL    AND    POLITICAL    CONDITIONS 

and  sent  messages  calculated  to  weaken  the  Federal  in- 
fluence by  arousing  suspicion  among  the  loyal  defenders 
of  the  Capital.  Communications  of  valuable  secret  in- 
formation were  constantly  transmitted  to  the  enemy. 
Frequent  arrests  were  made  and  occasionally  an  offender 
was  imprisoned. 

With  local  conditions  such  as  have  been  indicated,  the 
administration  of  Mr.  Lincoln  began.  Washington  had 
been  an  orderly  and  easy-going  city.  The  fact  that  in 
1861  the  expenses  of  the  police  department  were  only 
about  $32,580  is  proof  that  order  was  preserved  with  com- 
parative ease;  in  1901  the  corresponding  expenditure 
was  $743,505. 

But  as  the  Republican  administration  advanced  the 
situation  changed.  The  usually  quiet  Capital  swarmed 
with  newly-enlisted  men  who  were  frequently  sent  on 
without  regard  to  equipment  or  discipline.  Many  of 
them  were  unarmed  and  had  no  adequate  conception  of 
the  struggle  in  which  they  were  to  be  important  factors. 
It  often  required  the  assistance  of  the  District  Militia, 
aided  by  the  fully-armed,  equipped,  and  disciplined  mili- 
tia of  the  North,  and  the  small  number  of  soldiers  of  the 
Regular  Army  then  here,  to  preserve  order  and  discipline. 
Even  the  newly-appointed  officers  were  often  without 
military  experience  or  ideas.  Army  wagons  and  artillery 
tore  up  the  streets  and  roads.  Thousands  of  mules,  driven 
by  profane  drivers,  added  to  the  excitement. 

In  addition  to  this  army  came  another  of  contractors 
and  speculators,  men  not  sufficiently  patriotic  to  enlist 
as  soldiers,  but  greedy  enough  to  make  the  largest  pos- 
sible profit  out  of  the  necessities  of  war.  They  were  in 
some  instances  "shoddy,"  both  morally  and  socially,  and 
avoided  no  measures  which  would  lead  to  financial  suc- 
cess. Many  old  residents  regarded  this  incursion  as  a 

[189] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

great  indignity.  They  gauged  the  business  men  of  the 
North  by  those  who  came  to  Washington.  Ladies,  gentle 
and  refined,  who  had  been  accustomed  to  ease  and  lux- 
ury at  the  National  Capital,  looked  upon  the  overdressed 
wives  and  companions  of  the  newly-arrived  business  men 
as  representing  the  social  conditions  existing  in  the 
North,  and  fixed  their  condemnation  accordingly.  With 
the  officers,  soldiers,  and  contractors,  their  wives  and  rela- 
tives, the  resident  families  wanted  no  intercourse. 

Prices  increased,  not  only  for  merchandise,  but  for 
board  and  lodging.  Many  who  occupied  houses  charged 
fabulous  prices  for  taking  care  of  the  new  arrivals  who 
had  to  be  supplied  with  food  and  rooms.  Others  erected 
temporary  quarters  and  charged  exorbitant  rates  in  order 
to  get  back  their  money  as  soon  as  possible. 

AVashington  had  then  quite  a  number  of  residences 
which  were  regarded  as  fine.  Its  hotel  accommodations, 
although  limited,  had  been  sufficient  to  meet  the  demand 
upon  them.  The  most  noted,  Willard's  Hotel,  was  the 
headquarters  in  Washington  of  the  radically  loyal  ele- 
ment, of  officers,  soldiers,  and  citizens  who  gathered  there 
to  hear  news  from  the  front  or  to  discuss  the  situation 
and  the  relative  claims  to  public  honor  urged  on  behalf 
of  military  and  civilian  officers.  Other  prominent  hotels 
and  places  of  resort  were  the  Ebbitt  House,  Wormley's. 
the  Kirkwood,  which  then  occupied  the  site  where  the 
Raleigh  now  stands,  the. Metropolitan,  the  National,  Mrs. 
Whitney's  and  Caspari's  House  on  Capitol  Hill,  AVelker's, 
Gautier's  and  Hancock's  restaurants,  the  last  named  being 
still  in  existence. 

The  hosts  which  came  from  the  North  in  the  early  days 
of  1861  prior  to  the  inauguration  of  Abraham  Lincoln 
looked  upon  a  very  different  city  from  the  new  and 
greater  Washington  of  to-day.  The  Capitol  was  unfin- 

[190] 


SOCIAL    AND    POLITICAL    CONDITIONS 

ished;  blocks  of  granite  and  marble  were  scattered  about 
waiting  to  be  placed  in  position  and  the  building  had  no 
dome.  The  Treasury,  Post-Office,  and  Interior  Depart- 
ment buildings  were  also  incomplete.  The  Washington 
monument  had  not  attained  half  its  present  height. 

There  was  ample  area  on  which  to  build  a  city  with 
little  promise  that  it  could  ever  become  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  capitals  on  the  earth. 

Take  away  the  War,  State,  and  Navy  Department 
building,  Bureau  of  Engraving  and  Printing,  National 
Museum,  Agricultural  Department  building,  Congres- 
sional Library.  City  Post-Office,  Pension  Bureau,  Public 
Library,  Pennsylvania  Kailroad  Station,  and  Corcoran 
Gallery  of  Art;  all  the  theatres  but  one;  the  modern 
school  buildings;  the  New  Willard,  Gordon,  Raleigh, 
Cochran.  Grafton,  Uiggs.  Shoreham,  Arlington,  Dewey, 
and  Richmond  hotels;  the  street  railways;  all  the  good 
street  pavements  and  most  of  the  sidewalks;  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  fine  residences  and  stores;  all  the  statues 
and  monuments  with  few  exceptions;  cut  down  nearly  all 
the  trees  that  border  our  thoroughfares;  remove  the  im- 
provements from  all  but  three  of  our  important  squares; 
tear  down  all  the  houses  north  of  K  Street  and  west  of 
Uth  Street  and  nearly  all  east  of  the  Capitol;  wipe  out 
of  existence  all  but  three  of  the  banks  and  trust  compan- 
ies; take  off'  the  map  of  the  District  every  suburban  sub- 
division; restore  the  hills  and  valleys  which  have  disap- 
peared with  the  improvement  of  our  streets  and  avenues; 
restore  the  ¥>  Street  Canal  and  Tiber  Creek  running 
through  the  city  and  cutting  off  Avhat  was  known  as  "The 
Island'';  put  in  their  old  positions  all  the  streams,  ditches, 
pools,  and  swamps  which  have  long  since  been  carried 
into  sewers  or  filled  up;  then  let  horses,  cows,  goats,  and 
pigs  roam  at  will  over  the  larger  part  of  the  city's  area — 

[191] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  W-AR  TIME 

and  you  will  have  a  fair  view  of  the  place  from  which 
was  to  be  directed  the  great  campaign  to  preserve  the 
Republic.  Here  Lincoln  was  to  see  the  war  for  the  Union 
opened  and  closed,  his  country  strengthened,  perpetuated, 
and  saved. 

The  narrow  limits  of  the  public  school  system  in  18G1 
may  be  understood  from  the  fact  that  it  cost  but  $27,064, 
while  in  1901  the  appropriation  for  public  education  was 
$1,108,619.  The  fire  department,  then  operated  by  vol- 
unteers, cost  but  $1,610.  In  1901,  the  corresponding  al- 
lowance was  $325,920. 

The  city  was  growing  steadily.  From  1850  to  1860  its 
population  had  increased  45  per  cent.  There  were  but 
few  rich  residents  although  a  large  number  were  in  mod- 
erate circumstances  and  the  cost  of  living  was  compara- 
tively low. 

The  social  standards  were  peculiar.  Education  was 
considered  dangerous  to  the  masses.  Those  in  trade  were 
looked  down  upon  until  they  attained  political  prefer- 
ment or  acquired  fortunes  large  enough  to  give  them 
influence.  Work  demeaned  everybody.  A  resident  of  the 
District  who  inherited  valuable  property  remarked,  "I 
never  did  a  day's  work  and  I  never  will."  He  lived  long 
enough  to  waste  his  ample  fortune  through  inattention, 
and  passed  into  the  next  world  leaning  on  charitable 
friends.  Any  occupation  which  would  require  a  woman 
of  social  standing  to  leave  her  own  family  and  home  was 
deplored.  Seclusion  and  poverty  were  ordinarily  pre- 
ferred to  self-help.  Female  labor,  except  by  persons  of 
the  middle  classes,  was  unheard  of.  What  a  wonderful 
change  has  taken  place  in  this  respect !  Now  women  are 
employed  in  every  department  of  the  Government,  by 
every  corporation,  firm,  and  individual  doing  business  of 
any  magnitude;  and  the  workers  are  contented,  happy, 

[192] 


SOCIAL    AND    POLITICAL    CONDITIONS 

and  respected.  The  memory  of  slave  labor  and  its  con- 
comitants has  almost  passed  away,  and  it  is  now  diffi- 
cult to  realize  what  an  important  place  it  once  occupied 
in  the  life  of  Washington. 

The  colored  people  were  as  a  rule  respectful  and  made 
good  servants.  Although  they  met  with  almost  invari- 
able kindness  and  consideration,  they  were  generally 
treated  as  an  inferior  race,  born  to  do  menial  service. 
They  were  not  allowed  to  ride  on  an  omnibus  line  which 
was  inaugurated  about  that  time,  and  when  horse-cars 
were  introduced  separate  vehicles  were  provided  for 
them.  This  phase  of  public  opinion  may  perhaps  be  bet- 
ter understood  when  it  is  recalled  that  in  January,  18GG, 
nearly  G,GOO  ballots  were  cast  by  the  voters  of  the  Dis- 
trict against  mixed  suffrage  and  35  in  favor  of  it.  No 
colored  person  could  testify  in  legal  proceedings  and  fre- 
quently much  embarrassment  arose  from  this  restriction. 
Judge  Andrew  Wylie,  who  was  for  a  long  time  on  the  Su- 
preme bench  of  the  District  of  Columbia  and  for  some 
years  prior  to  his  appointment  a  practicing  attorney  in  the 
District  courts,  said  that  in  a  case  in  which  he  appeared 
for  one  of  the  litigants  he  was  convinced  that  the  only 
person  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  facts  involved 
was  a  colored  man;  that  he  so  stated  to  the  Court  and 
claimed  that  in  the  interest  of  justice  his  witness  should 
be  allowed  to  testify  but  his  motion  was  denied.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  that  Andrew  Wylie  at  that  time  lived  in 
Alexandria  and  was  one  of  the  two  men  in  that  city  who 
voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  18GO. 

As  the  war  progressed  people  of  the  different  sections 
became  better  acquainted  with  each  other.  The  generous 
provision  made  by  the  North  for  supplies  for  the  sick 
and  wounded,  often  shared  by  their  enemies,  helped  to 
dispel  the  intense  bitterness  which  existed  in  the  early 

13  [193] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

days  of  1861.  Many  officers  and  soldiers  fell  in  love  with 
the  fine  and  beautiful  women  who  at  first  treated  them 
with  scorn  and  contempt,  but  afterwards  came  to  admire 
the  good  qualities  of  the  Yankee  sufficiently  to  marry 
Northerners.  The  war  brought  many  blessings  in  dis- 
guise, and  not  the  least  of  them  was  this  influx  of  new 
and  vigorous  men  who  were  persuaded  by  one  considera- 
tion or  another  to  make  Washington  their  home. 

Wonderful  results  have  been  accomplished  within  the 
last  thirty  years.  The  sluggish  and  unenterprising  city 
seems  to  have  awakened  from  its  dreams  and  has  assumed 
attractions  which  make  the  people  of  the  Union — with- 
out regard  to  section — its  admiring  friends.  It  competes 
with  no  other  city  in  business  or  manufactures.  It  is  a 
city  of  homes  and  the  home  of  the  National  Government. 
It  is  the  charming  and  gracious  mistress  of  the  nation's 
hospitality.  But  more  noteworthy  than  everything  else, 
it  is  the  political  headquarters  of  the  United  States. 


Washington    Arsenal. 


[194] 


Washington   of  Today 


r,V  IIKNRY  BROWN  FLOYD  MACFARLAND 

f.  Hoard  of  Commissioners,  District  of  Columbia 

ORTY  years  have  changed 
Washington  almost  more  than 
any  other  American  city.  The 
boys  of  '61  returning  here  for 
the  first  time  would  know 
the  city  by  its  surroundings 
and  by  the  great  landmark, 
the  Capitol,  whose  dome  was 
building  under  Abraham  Lin- 
coln's faith,  during  the  Civil 
War.  But  otherwise  Wash- 
ington must  seem  like  a  new 
city.  Looking  at  it  from  any 
of  the  hills  around  it,  but  especially,  perhaps,  from  Ar- 
lington, itself  so  changed  since  it  became  the  bivouac  of 
the  noble  (load,  they  would  sec  the  completed  Washing- 
ton Monument,  now  dominating  every  view  of  the  Na- 
tional Capital;  the  incomparable  Congressional  Library 
Building,  rivaling  the  Capitol;  the  great,  gray  State, 
War.  and  Navy  building,  standing  on  the  sites  of  the 
little  old  buildings  where  Stanton  and  Welles  directed 
the  operations  of  the  War  and  Xavy  Departments,  and 
a  score  of  high  structures  occupied  by  churches,  colleges, 
and  business  corporations,  besides  a  vast  growth  of  trees, 
in  orderly  array  along  the  streets  and  avenues,  which 
make  a  mighty  forest  in  the  heart  of  the  Capital.  Then, 
as  they  crossed  over  the  Potomac,  on  one  of  the  1111- 

[195] 


John  Hay. 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

changed  bridges,  they  would  see  how  the  channel  has  been 
narrowed  by  improvements  which  have  reclaimed  a  wide 
park  land  out  of  the  shallows  and  marshes,  and  if  they 
came  in  through  older  Georgetown,  itself  almost  as  un- 
changed as  the  bridges,  they  would  find,  in  place  of  the 
rough  roads  of  the  Civil  War  time,  graded  and  asphalted 
streets  and  side-walks  gradually  changing  from  brick  to 
concrete,  shaded  almost  everywhere  by  some  of  the  eighty 
thousand  trees  which,  with  the  well-kept  little  parks, 
distinguish  Washington  from  all  other  American  cities. 
They  would  find  at  once  a  system  of  street  railways,  with 
underground  electric  trolley  motors,  covering  not  only  all 
of  the  city  of  Washington  and  Georgetown,  but  a  great  part 
of  the  District  of  Columbia  outside,  and  running  beyond 
the   borders   to    Bladensburg,    Rockville,    Cabin    John's 
Bridge  in   Maryland,   and   Alexandria,   Arlington,   and 
Mount  Vernon  in  Virginia.     They  would  find  that  the 
best  way  to  see  the  newer  Washington  and  its  surround- 
ings is  by  these  car  lines,  beginning,  perhaps,  with  that 
special  tourists'  car,  which,  in  a  two  hours'  circuit,  passes 
a  thousand  interesting  things.     Almost  every  important 
National  Government  building  and  almost  every  place  of 
historic  interest  can  be  directly  reached  by  means  of  these 
railways,  and  many  of  the  most  attractive  private  resi- 
dences, club  and  apartment  houses,  churches  and  schools, 
can  be  seen  from  their  cars.    A  trip  through  northwest- 
ern Washington  and  on  beyond  over  the  hills,  reveals 
absolutely  new  scenes  to  the  man  who  has  not  been  here 
since  the  Civil  War.     Even  the  veteran  who  ten  years 
ago  who  was  here  at  the  memorable  National  Encamp- 
ment, when  an  ex-President  of  the  United  States  was 
among  the  eminent  men  who  marched  in  review  past  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  will  find  much  that  is 
new  and  beautiful  in  the  buildings  in  that  quarter,  and 

[19G] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

if  he  goes  out  to  Rock  Creek  Park  and  its  small  com- 
panion, Zoological  Park,  he  will  be  as  much  surprised 
and  delighted  if  he  had  not  been  here  since  18G5.  What 
is  called  Greater  Washington,  spreading  out  in  every  di- 
rection over  the  hills  surrounding  the  old  city  on  every 
side,  except  that  of  the  Potomac,  is  of  comparatively  re- 
cent creation.  The  old  soldier,  going  out  to  revisit  one 
of  the  forts  in  the  circle  of  Washington's  defenses,  will 
find  all  the  older  natural  beauty  and  in  addition  much  of 
the  beauty  that  man  produces.  Looking  at  the  Capital, 
either  from  the  center  of  the  city  or  from  the  circumfer- 
ence of  the  hills,  its  grandeur  always  appeals  to  the  vis- 
itor. Many  persons  of  taste  who  have  seen  all  the  great 
capitals  of  the  world  believe  that  none  of  them  surpasses 
the  Capital  of  the  United  States,  taken  with  its  sur- 
roundings, in  present  beauty,  and  some  consider  it  now 
the  most  magnificent  of  all.  Certainly  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  when  all  the  plans  for  its  development  and 
embellishment  are  carried  out,  it  will  stand  unrivaled. 

In  the  last  forty  years  Washington  has  quadrupled  in 
population  and  the  accessions  have  been  largely  of  people 
of  superior  intelligence  and  cultivation,  representing  the 
best  elements  in  all  the  States  and  Territories.  Many 
rich  people  have  become  residents,  at  least  for  the  winter 
months.  The  development  of  the  executive  departments 
of  the  National  Government,  with  the  growth  of  the 
nation's  business,  and  the  great  increase  in  the  scientific 
work  carried  on  by  the  nation,  have  drawn  to  Washington 
many  able  men.  The  peculiar  facilities  for  educational 
institutions,  multiplying  the  number  of  colleges  and 
schools,  have  drawn  krge  numbers  of  scholars  and  stu- 
dents. Every  variety  of  society  is  therefore  to  be  found 
at  its  best  in  Washington.  The  presence  of  the  President, 
the  Cabinet,  the  Supreme  Court,  Congress,  the  Diplomatic 

[198] 


WASHINGTON    OF    TODAY 

Corps,  the  highest  officers  of  the  Army  and  Navy,  and 
many  eminent  scientists  and  scholars  gives  it  a  cosmopoli- 
tan character  that  is  most  attractive,  and  draws  visitors 
in  increasing  numbers  from  all  over  the  United  States 
and  Canada  and  many  other  countries.  The  healthful 
climate,  which  is  also  agreeable  during  the  greater  part 
of  the  year,  the  beauty,  comfort,  and  convenience  of  the 
city,  the  exceptional  interest  of  its  life,  the  absence  of 
local  partisan  politics — because  the  elective  franchise  has 
been  abolished — and  the  absence  of  great  manufacturing 
establishments,  are  among  the  things  which  make  Wash- 
ington almost  ideal  as  a  residence  city.  The  good  govern- 
ment of  the  District  of  Columbia,  with  its  admirable  pub- 
lic school  system,  police  and  fire  departments,  and  other 
municipal  features,  all  free  from  the  scandalous  prac- 
tices of  blackmail  and  bribery,  political  favoritism,  and 
corruption,  which  stain  so  many  American  municipalities, 
may  l>e  mentioned  as  one  of  the  reasons  why  most  people 
like  to  live  in  Washington. 

It  is,  perhaps,  not  generally  known  that  the  City  of 
AVashington  itself  has  no  government  of  its  own  such  as  it 
had  during  the  Civil  War.  At  that  time,  under  the  gen- 
eral legislative  authority  of  Congress,  which,  by  the  Con- 
stitution, is  given  the  exclusive  power  of  legislation,  but 
no  executive  or  judicial  authority,  in  the  District  of  Co- 
lumbia, Washington  and  Georgetown  (like  Alexandria, 
which  was  taken  out  of  the  District  in  1846  upon  the 
retrocession  of  Virginia's  contribution  to  the  District), 
had  municipal  governments  with  mayors  and  councils 
elected  by  the  qualified  voters.  In  1871  these  governments 
were  abolished  and  a  territorial  form  of  government  for 
the  entire  District  with  a  Governor  and  Legislature  and 
a  delegate  in  Congress  was  established  by  Congress.  In 
1878  that  form  of  government  was  abolished,  together 

[199] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

with  the  elective  franchise,  and  the  present  form  of  gov- 
ernment by  three  Commissioners  of  the  District  of  Colum- 
bia, appointed  by  the  President  and  confirmed  by  the 
Senate,  was  created  by  an  act  of  Congress,  which  the 
Supreme  Court  has  called  the  "Constitution  of  the  Dis- 
trict of  Columbia."  These  Commissioners  are  not  the 
successors  of  the  Mayors  of  Washington  or  the  Mayors 
of  Georgetown,  but  of  the  Governors  of  the  Territory. 
They  are  the  executive  authority  not  of  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington, but  of  the  District  of  Columbia.  This  includes 
not  only  the  City  of  Washington  and  the  City  of  George- 
town, but  more  than  fifteen  towns  and  villages.  Over 
fifty  thousand  people  live  in  the  District  outside  of  the 
cities  of  Washington  and  Georgetown.  The  Congress  of 
the  United  States  is  the  legislature  of  the  District  of 
Columbia  and  its  judiciary  is  affiliated  with  the  courts 
of  the  United  States.  The  Commissioners  recommend 
legislation,  including  appropriations,  which  are  made 
under  the  organic  act  of  1878,  half  from  the  National 
Treasury  and  half  from  the  District  tax  funds.  The 
United  States  contributed  little  or  nothing  to  the  general 
expenses  of  the  District  of  Columbia  prior  to  1878, 
although  it  was  admitted  that  it  ought  to  do  so  because 
this  was  the  National  Capital  and  because  the  United 
States  owned  over  one-half  of  the  land,  as  is  still  the 
case.  This  land  was  donated  to  the  United  States  by  the 
original  proprietors  at  the  request  of  George  Washing- 
ton, the  founder  of  the  National  Capital.  With  two 
million  dollars  secured  by  the  United  States  from  the 
sale  of  a  portion  of  this  land,  together  with  small  grants 
from  Maryland  and  Virginia,  the  Capitol  and  White 
House  and  other  public  buildings  were  built,  from  1790 
on,  and  the  approaches  to  the  National  buildings  were 
improved.  The  National  Government  has  paid  the  rest 

[200] 


WASHINGTON    OF    TODAY 

of  the  cost  of  the  national  buildings  and  grounds.  Con- 
<_nvss,  besides  passing  on  measures  submitted  by  the  Com- 
missioners, refers  to  them  for  report  all  bills  proposing 
legislation  for  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  is  largely 
guided  by  their  advice.  The  President  before  approving 
bills  relating  to  the  District  of  Columbia,  which  have 
bet -n  passed  and  sent  to  him  by  Congress,  submits  them 
to  the  Commissioners  for  any  objections  they  may  have  to 
offer. 

Xo  one  can  have  a  greater  interest  in  the  National  Capi- 
tal than  the  survivors  of  the  men  who  maintained  and 
preserved  it  during  the  Civil  War.  They  kept  the  nation 
from  being  rent  in  twain  and  the  National  Capital  from 
being  swallowed  up  in  the  awful  gulf.  They  also  dis- 
covered the  National  Capital  to  the  country,  which  had 
cared  but  little  about  it  before  the  war.  The  old,  persist- 
ent talk  of  moving  the  Capital  out  West,  started  at  first 
before  the  railway  or  telegraph  gave  adequate  means  of 
communication,  was  never  seriously  revived  after  the 
Civil  War  had  hallowed  Washington  as  the  Capital  for 
which  the  blood  of  the  best  had  been  poured  out. 

General  Grant,  the  leader  of  the  grand  armies  of  the 
Republic,  shared  the  new  feeling  about  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington which  the  Civil  War  produced,  and  when  he 
became  President  gave  the  powerful  support  of  his  in- 
fluence to  the  efforts  of  Alexander  R.  Shepherd  and 
others  who  began  the  transformation  which  has  created 
the  newer  Washington.  In  the  process  of  its  improve- 
ment through  these  thirty  years,  many  other  veterans  of 
the  Civil  War  who  remained  here  have  been  prominent 
and  useful.  Many  of  the  first  citizens  of  the  District  of 
Columbia  are  survivors  of  the  soldiers  of  the  great  con- 
flict. They  typify,  in  their  constant  and  patriotic  devo- 
tion to  the  National  Capital,  the  home  of  the  flag,  the 

[201] 


WASHINGTON  DURING  WAR  TIME 

center  of  the  nation,  the  cordial  feelings  which  their  com- 
rades everywhere  entertain  respecting  it. 

New  Washington,  Greater  Washington,  welcomes  with 
peculiar  affect  ion  the  defenders  and  preservers  of  the 
National  Capital,  its  best  friends,  the  veterans  of  the 
armies  of  the  Union. 


•« 


View    of    City   Hall. 


[202] 


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